The Secret Engagement
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: AU after Jack left, Gwen and Ianto took comfort in one another. it eventually grew into love and Ianto proposed. however Jack is back and unable to tell him the team is keeping everything a secret, how long will it last?
1. Chapter 1

It was almost night and despite the warm-ish spring air, Gwen was shaking. It was not the cold that was causing her to shake but the horrible feeling that she'll never see Jack Harkness again. That he had disappeared for good.

She couldn't understand how. How could he be in the next room one second and then after a strange grinding sound from some sort of engine, vanish completely?

The team had been searching all day, Tosh trying to track him down via the tracking device all of them had implanted not only through their comms but in their filling, but the signal had gone out. Owen was muttering curse words under his breath along with very descriptive threats of what he would like to do to Jack Harkness when he found the bastard. Ianto was silent, like Gwen.

"Let's go home" Owen said. "The bastard's not gonna show up tonight, let him sulk and come back in his own time"

"He's not sulking!" Gwen snapped. "He would be on the roof if that was the case, he must have been kidnapped or something"

"Gwen, the bastard ran off, he must have because that creepy hand is also missing. You know the one he prized more than anything?"

"We mustn't give up Owen" Gwen said firmly.

"Look just because you wanted to shag him doesn't mean we have to trek through the whole city looking in every hole and ditch for Jack Bloody Harkness" Owen shouted. "I know you're not satisfied with just fatty Rhys but this is a little too desperate"

Gwen slapped him. "Don't insult Rhys or Jack" she hissed. "Both are caring men, Jack is our leader, we should search for him and make sure he is safe" Owen avoided eye contact with her when he realised her eyes were shining with tears. "We only just got Jack back, we can't lose him again"

"Whatever" Owen grumbled. "I'll get some pizza for me and Tosh and we'll search CCTV. You and Ianto can do whatever you like"

As she watched Owen storm off, Gwen felt tears fall down her cheeks when suddenly a soft piece of material was pushed into her hand.

"Here, you look nicer when you're smiling" Ianto mumbled shyly as she looked down at the handkerchief. "Use it, don't worry, I have tons of them"

"Thank you" she whispered as she began to wipe her tears away. "Come on, let's find Jack"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

The four of them were out of breath leaning against a wall, panting. It's been two very long days since Jack has gone missing, both Gwen and Ianto were exhausted since they had spent every night searching for Jack and failing each time. Not going to bed until the early hours of the morning only to wake two, three hours later for work. A weevil was now running amok the streets and it was up to the four of them to catch it before it killed someone.

"This was a hell lot simpler when Jack was around" Owen complained. "How the fuck are we going to catch that weevil?"

Gwen didn't answer, she watched as the weevil scavenged in the large box shaped dumpster, a plan formulating in her mind.

"Right what we do is Owen you go and slam that lid shut; I'll help keep the lid shut while Tosh and Ianto arrange to take the dumpster with us. We'll then-"

"Hold it, hold it!" Owen said waving a hand up. "When did we agree you can be leader Skipper?"

"Skipper?"

"You know, Barbie's flat chested sister?"

"Tosh slap him" Gwen ordered, her lips twitching when Tosh obeyed and Owen complained yet again. "Since you did a crap job as leader last time Jack was out of commission-"

"I did not!" Owen interrupted crossly.

"You opened the rift and destroyed Cardiff and almost the whole world" Ianto said flatly.

"Shut it, no one asked you Tea-Boy" Owen snapped.

"Owen no insulting Ianto, just do what I say or I'll throw your Gameboy into Janet's cell" Gwen threatened.

"All right, all right, whatever you say Ma'am" Owen groused in mocking respect.

To Gwen's happiness and Owen's humiliation not only did the plan work but Gwen was considered leader from now on by Tosh and Ianto. To appease Owen they promised he was second in command.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

They were eating pizza to celebrate another successful weevil catch without Jack. Lucky for them nothing completely disastrous has happened yet but considering the fact it's only been a week it wasn't saying much. The elections had been and gone, all of them had voted for Harry Saxon who will change things for the better.

"It's better to have a man in charge than a woman, I mean look at the mess Harriet Jones left" Owen said.

Gwen threw a pepperoni at him. "Says you, the man who can't change a light bulb without causing a power-down. Harriet Jones did a lot for us"

"Especially for the Torchwood side of things" Ianto said siding with Gwen. "She gave us a higher budget meaning a higher pay"

"Which Jack probably used for hookers" Owen muttered under his breath.

"No that's just you" Gwen said snippily, sick of Owen making sly comments about Jack.

"All right, all right, no need to get your panties in a twist" Owen said slightly taken back.

Before another argument could break out between Owen and Gwen the phone started to ring in Jack's office. The four of them froze and starred at one another, all thinking the same thing, could this be Jack calling for help? They all ran up the stairs, Gwen leaped towards the desk and got to the phone first.

"H-Hello?" she choked out, out of breath from running and crushed by the fact both Owen and Ianto landed on top of her in their mad attempts to get to the phone first.

"Good evening is this Gwyneth?" a polite voice drawled. "Gwyneth Cooper, Head of Torchwood Three?"

"Only temporarily, until the actual leader comes home" Gwen babbled nervously, struggling to get out from beneath Owen and Ianto.

"Well Gwen, I can call you Gwen right?"

"Y-yes"

"well as I was about to say Gwen, I'm Harry Saxon, your new Prime Minister though it hasn't been announced to the public yet, so hush, hush keep it a secret" she couldn't help but giggle. He sighed. "We have a problem Gwen, an alien one and since Torchwood One is out of commission and I can't get through to those strange blokes up in Scotland-"

"You thought of us?" Gwen interrupted excited and pleased with the fact THE Prime Minster had called her for help. "Sir, we would be delighted-"

"Good, good, now arrangements have already been made. You leave tomorrow"

"But sir where are we going exactly?"

"The Himalayas, I know it's so far and remote but we are desperate Gwen"

"It's no problem sir, we would do our best for our country and government" Gwen said quickly wondering when she had become such a suck up but then again she had never spoken to the Prime Minister before...

"good, good, the arrangements will be faxed in a moment's time and I'll try and get your budget higher, good girls like you deserve more than you're getting, well ta, ta for now Gwen"

He then hung up before she could say goodbye.

"Well?" Owen asked.

"We got work to do" Gwen said professionally, she then took a deep breath. "NOW GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Now you're going on a trip, well isn't that just spectacular" Rhys said as he followed Gwen into the bedroom. "One of those boring office-y type things where you sit around in posh suits and discuss the latest budget cut?"

Gwen snorted at the idea of anyone on the team but Ianto wearing a suit. For some reason the young Welshman constantly wore a suit to work, the only time she had seen him in jeans was when they went to the countryside. Not one of their finest moments, Tosh was lost without her technology, Gwen got shot and ended the trip by having an affair with Owen, Owen was being his usual knob-headed self and Ianto had a mental breakdown just before Jack came charging in on a tractor of all things....

"No, no office type things" she said distractedly as she pulled out her warmest clothes, jeans, thick woolly socks, large jumpers that are actually Rhys'...

"Ah then it'll be a field trip. One of those teambuilding exercises with canoeing, a rift-building, abseiling and campfires" Rhys predicted. "You'll get all competitive and end up killing each other while I'm stuck paying the mortgage"

"Erm...yeah it's that type of trip" Gwen half-lied. "Lots of rock climbing and camping out in the wildlife"

"I hope it doesn't end like your last camping trip" Rhys said. "Last time you came home covered in dirt and blood and you spent weeks waking up from those nightmares. You wouldn't let me touch you properly for months either"

It wasn't anything traumatic that made her not let him touch her. It was guilt. She was cheating on this wonderfully sweet man that barely said a bad word about her constantly leaving at all hours for work. Despite her neglecting him all the time he stayed with her, by her side holding her hand when she needed it.

However despite the fact she had Rhys, despite the fact she was shagging Owen at the time, Gwen had found herself slowly falling in love with Jack Harkness. Or maybe it was just overwhelming lust. Jack Harkness made her giddy like a schoolgirl, she often found herself doodling his name on a scarp piece of paper or fantasying having a life with him.

"That was because the lads told the most terrifying ghost story" Gwen lied quickly as she rushed to the bathroom grabbing essentials. "Had me and Tosh up most of the night practically wetting ourselves and then there was that cow-"

Rhys chuckled. "I know love, I know you told me" Gwen plastered a fake smile trying to squash down the guilt of lying again and again. She had confessed to him about Owen only to retcon him...she was coward. "I can't believe you P.C Gryffindor was scared"

P.C Gryffindor was a nickname in her section of the police force. She was a reckless and brave officer that went through all situations to uphold the law. Lately she feels meek and small, weak and cowardly, lost and almost alone.

"Yeah..."

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

"Are we there yet?"

"Owen, we haven't even left Wales yet. The plane hasn't moved an inch!" Tosh said feeling her eyebrow twitch. The plane was small and cramped, apart from the small sectioned off cubicle for the toilet and the curtained off pilot area there was nothing but a long bench with seatbelts to sit on. Tosh was squeezed between Ianto and Owen while Gwen sat on Ianto's other side with her I-Pod in, blissfully blocking Owen's whining out.

"But I'm bored"

"Well amuse yourself, what are you five?"

Before Owen could come up with a snarky comeback, the plane began to move. Flinching when her ears began to pop during take off, Tosh settled herself down into keeping an eye on her hand-computer, which was connected to the Torchwood system scanning for rift activity.

"Are we there yet?"

"We haven't even flown over England yet" Ianto said patiently.

It had been two hours, Owen already knocked back Ianto's idea of I Spy, won all the rounds of noughts and crosses, finished Ianto's word search, laughed at Ianto's book (a classic that be burrowed from Tosh) and been to the toilet five times.

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!"

Another hour and Gwen was pulled aside by the pilot, she came back and insisted on them strapping on thick padded waistcoats already over their thick parkas. Tosh spied the small little pulling mechanism on the left side and knew what was to come.

"Pull this for the parachute" Gwen instructed them as she shrugged on her rucksack.

"Wait! What? We're going to jump out of the bloody plane?" Owen squealed looking sickly pale.

"The pilot can't land, the snow is making it difficult" Gwen said with a shrug. "It's not that big of a deal, we've done more dangerous things on land"

"Yeah on _land_" Owen said stressing the word land out.

Tosh couldn't resist the urge to giggle. "Are you scared of heights Owen?"

"What? Me? Nah, I'm not scared of anything" Owen said puffing his chest out slightly.

"Good then you can go first" Gwen said sweetly.

"Wha...?"

Ianto and Gwen gently guided Owen to the side door and pushed it open. Tosh noted that Owen's eyes widened when he looked down at the snowy filled air that obscured the land. Ianto pulled on a pair of snow goggles over Owen's head.

"You're going to need these" he said as he adjusted them. Owen gulped loudly. "Good luck" Ianto said before pushing Owen off.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

"Ladies next" Ianto said politely as Tosh shook her head in disgust at Ianto's antics. She pulled on her snow goggles and dived off neatly. Her heart was in her throat as she picked up speed without even thinking she tugged the string tightly and she flew up slightly as her parachute was let out.

She couldn't help but laugh as she slowly made her way down to the land. She felt light and free, as if she was a bird or a fairy or even angel as her hair got covered by falling snow.

She felt beautiful despite all the extra padding she had on.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

"We have walked for miles" Owen panted. "We are cold, we are miserable-"

"I think that's just you" Gwen muttered darkly.

"We are hungry and we are tired" Owen carried on as if Gwen hadn't spoken. "There has been no sign of an alien anywhere. Actually there has been no sign of humans or animals anywhere. Can we please find somewhere to camp out? I'm exhausted!"

"Actually my scanner shows the sign of any paranormal activity" Tosh spoke up. "That is...before it died, nothing is working I can't get a signal from anywhere and I know it's not just because we're in the middle of nowhere before you say that Owen"

"Do you think we were tricked?" Ianto asked nervously.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo Ianto, it was obviously a mistake on the Prime Minister's side of thing" Owen said sarcastically, he then smacked the back of Ianto's head. "Of course it is you moron! Why else would we be sent out in the middle of no where?"

"But why would he do that?" Ianto asked rubbing his head and glaring at Owen.

Owen shrugged. "No idea, maybe this Prime Minister doesn't want a Torchwood or maybe we're being secretly filmed and this is the new version of Big Brother"

Gwen shuddered at the idea and at the wind that suddenly blew strongly at them. She scanned her surroundings and so no available shelter. "C'mon guys, lets find some shelter and we'll make camp. We'll solve this in the morning"

Everyone nodded while grimly wondering if the Prime Minister tricking them has anything to do with Jack being missing. If so, then why is the government so determined to exterminate the Torchwood Team?


	3. Chapter 3

They had managed to find a cave hidden away in the mountains. Thanks to Tosh's and Ianto's super quick thinking during packing they had a battery powered radiator to huddle up against, Ianto even brought out some aliens devices that created light and heat much to everyone's happiness. The four of them curled up in the small cramp space shivering.

"You know the best way for us to warm up is body heat" Owen said in between chattering of his teeth. "So what we should do is take our-"

"Don't finish that sentence!" Gwen snapped cutting Owen off.

"I agree, no matter how true your little fact is I don't particularly want to see you naked" Ianto said his lips twitching. "However I do wonder if it's true you have a bunny shaped birthmark on your behind"

"You told him?!" Owen shouted looking horrified.

Neither Gwen nor Tosh could resist collapsing in hysterical laughter; Owen flushed red and refused to look at anyone while Ianto had a smirk on his face as he poured out lucid warm coffee from the hot flask.

"God bless you Ianto" Gwen said as the others sighed dreamily into their plastic cups of coffee. "So...is it often for the government to try and kill Torchwood?"

"Not often, often" Ianto said thoughtfully. "Whenever there's a huge world size crisis the government has a habit of panicking and start aiming to kill us in hopes of protecting themselves"

"Torchwood One was always too big to be on that little list though" Owen said bitterly. "Only the higher ups were on it. Meanwhile Torchwood Two and Three which is small have whole teams exterminated"

Tosh out of character snorted. "Trust me Owen you're not on the list. If anything major happened and Torchwood was to be killed it would be me and Jack. I know I've read the list"

"What? Why you?" Gwen asked shocked, she honestly thought if the government wanted to kill someone it would have been Owen.

"Before I worked here I was with UNIT, a more military style of things created in the 1970s, Jack hates them because they don't respond to his flirtations well" everyone snorted. Typical Jack that was. "I'm considered dangerous due to the reason I swapped jobs"

Knowing it was a sensitive and secretive subject to Tosh and that the only other person that knows the details to why Tosh ended up in Torchwood was Jack, everyone opted to talk about something else.

"You reckon Saxon wants to get rid of us because Jack flirted with him?" Owen asked.

"Wouldn't surprise me" Gwen muttered. "Do you think Jack's with Saxon?"

"Who knows" Ianto said quietly.

Gwen looked at Ianto from the corner of her eyes, his face was expressionless but his eyes had the look of a kicked puppy. It made Gwen want to pull the young man in a vice like hug and tell him everything will be all right. Instead she merely reached out and took his gloved hand into her own gloved hand.

"We should sleep" she said. "We're going to need our strength tomorrow and I highly doubt anyone will try to kill us in the mean time"

Everyone mumbled their agreements and shuffled round to find a comfortable position, Gwen ended up resting her head on Tosh's winter wear padded thigh, while Ianto snuggled his head into her belly. Much to Tosh's everlasting happiness the Japanese woman was curled up in Owen's arms who sat up right against the cave's wall.

Gwen absently played with Ianto's hair as she slowly drifted towards sleep.

"Or we could just have an orgy?"

"NO! GO TO SLEEP OWEN!"

"I knew he was going to suggest that"

"Really Owen, it's more something _Jack _would say"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The snowing had stopped by the time they woke up. After a brief discussion that turned into an argument the team agreed to go back down to flat surface and try to find civilisation. It would be faster than sitting around waiting for their plane to come back especially since it seemed the plane was never going to come back. Everyone was cold, hungry and cranky and what's worse was Owen was cold, hungry, cranky and sober.

"Are you sure we're going the right way? Because nothing ever changes it's just white. Also why do you have to follow Ianto's lead? All he's going to do is find us a coffee shop and Tosh will you stop clingy onto my hand like it's a baby blanket"

"Owen stop whining" Gwen said rubbing her temples as she felt a headache coming on. "Ianto's leading because he unlike you actually passed GCSE Geography; you keep getting lost just walking down a straight road so _shut up!"_

"Ooh no need to get your panties in a twist Skipper" Owen drawled.

"Right that's it!"

Both Ianto and Tosh dived between Gwen and Owen, trying to hold the pair apart as the two attempted punching, kicking and biting one another.

"Please you two, fighting isn't the answer, we need to calm down and – AH!"

In an attempt to lunge at Gwen, Owen accidentally tripped over Tosh causing the pair of them to crash into Ianto and Gwen. All four ended up rolling down the hill, landing in a tangled ball of arms and legs.

They all groaned.

"I hate you Owen"

"Likewise Cooper"

"Look I know we're all tired and cold but we shouldn't try to kill each other. We're a team!" Tosh said tearfully, Owen groaned and sat up, pulling a glove off he used it to wipe Tosh's tears away.

"Don't cry Tosh, please don't cry you know I hate it when you do" Owen begged. "I'm sorry, it's just I'm cold, hungry, tired and last night I had this really weird dream that seemed so real. About these metal alien things called Tolcafane and-"

"You too?" Gwen interrupted with a surprised look. "I had that dream as well; the whole world was practically dead. Japan was massacred and-"

"Everything depended on a woman called Martha Jones" Ianto finished off quietly.

Everyone stared at one another fearfully. It was a truly horrific nightmare, someone of them died during it and waking up was a relief it was only until morning that any of them could wake up. Despite the fact they had slept the whole night it felt as if they barely got any sleep at all.

"When we get back home, we can work out what it was" Tosh said rapidly. "Maybe it was a telepathic dream, someone sent it to us to mess with out minds or maybe it was some sort of rift energy or-"

"You know what I don't think I want to know what happened" Owen said looking terrified though his voice was loud and firm. "I think we should all just forget it"

"But-"

"Owen's right" Ianto said quietly. "The things we dreamt about are best forgotten besides I'm already starting to forget things as it is"

"Same here" Gwen said. "It's becoming a blur"

By the time they got to the bottom of the mountain, no one could even recall what they dreamt about let alone whose name it was that everything depended on.


	4. Chapter 4

Much to the team's relieve, Ianto had found them a small inn not so far away. They all had hot baths, got changed to warm, dry clothes and were now sitting round a large wooden table close to the fireplace while gulping hot chocolate and eating a large plate of stew with freshly baked rolls.

"Ah, this is life" Owen sighed once he finished his plate; he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his belly. "I don't think I can ever be more grateful"

"I didn't know you could even be grateful" Gwen muttered.

"Where are Tosh and Ianto?" Owen asked looking at the two empty seats. "Reckon they gone for a shag?"

"I doubt it, not all of us are horny 24/7 like you" Gwen said as she wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"Ianto better not touch Tosh" Owen grumbled.

"Are you feeling jealous Owen?" Gwen asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, just Tosh is my friend, right? Friends look out for one another" Owen said quickly. "Sides...i feel guilty as it is not being there to protect her from that Mary bird"

"I don't believe it, Owen Harper actually has a soft side" Gwen said teasingly. Owen glared at her and Gwen laughed. "Don't worry, they've gone to find communication and get us out of this bog hole. I never thought I would say this but I miss Cardiff"

"Not the only one" Owen mumbled. "Scary isn't it?"

"Very"

Ianto and Tosh came in looking shocked, scared and a tinged of annoyance. "Would you like the bad news, the even more bad news, the worst news or the good news first?" Ianto asked.

Owen looked thoughtful. "Hmm...I think it might be good if you just let me down gently, go on say it, we're stuck here for a month or so aren't we?"

"No, not even close" Ianto said rolling his eyes. "The bad news we almost got invaded by aliens. The even more bad news is that the President of the United States and our Prime Minister is dead"

"And the worst news?" Gwen asked dreading the answer.

"George Bush and Tony Blair are running to be our leaders again"

"Fuck" Owen muttered. "Not voting for that wanker, so have you got any good news for us or is this where you're going to tell me my pet goldfish died?"

"Owen you don't have a pet goldfish" Tosh said frowning. "We flushed it down the loo three years ago when it died"

"We did?" Owen asked bewildered. "Then what the hell is floating in my fish bowl?"

Ianto looked disgusted, Tosh wrinkled her nose in disgust and Gwen choked on her spit and ended up in a coughing fit. Ianto patted Gwen's back; once she calmed down she glared at Owen.

"You really are disgusting" she informed him, Owen shrugged unbothered by the statement. "So then, what is the good news?"

"I got through to the airport booked us tickets to England and a car will come and pick us up tomorrow morning" Ianto said happily.

"Hallelujah!" Owen said. "Ianto, I love you"

"Sorry Owen, not interested in twats" Ianto shot back causing Gwen and Tosh to laugh while Owen looked unimpressed.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

They landed in London late afternoon, again after a few short phone calls and Ianto's polite nature and excellent connections the four of them got a train back to Cardiff. The UNIT officer that was overseeing everything sighed in relief and hugged Ianto tightly.

"That pterodactyl was driving me mad! And the Weevil thing and I kept waking up to some beeping or another. Never again am I filling in for you lot!"

The UNIT officer then ran off really fast.

"Ever get the feeling that people find us odd?" Owen asked innocently.

Ianto went off to feed Janet and Mwyfanny while Tosh checked out rift readings and Gwen went through the phone messages. Owen sat down at his work unit and got out his precious Gameboy that his missed dreadfully.

Gwen sighed loudly. "I got reports of alien sight-seeing, a call from Torchwood Two asking for a weevil to experiment on, Ianto's sister called several times and so did the pizza place nearby wondering why we haven't ordered anything yet but nothing from Jack"

"Didn't expect anything from that smarmy bastard" Owen said unbothered. "It's been what, almost two weeks? He's only just getting bored of his latest shag, I bet in another week's time he'll come crawling back in here"

Ianto looked down at his tray of coffee with a gloomy expression; he left the tray on Gwen's work unit and trailed back to the reception desk. Gwen and Tosh glared at Owen.

"What?"

"Honestly Owen, you're so insensitive sometimes!" Tosh snapped turning back to her computer.

"I don't know why we haven't fed you to Mwyfanny yet" Gwen said storming back to Jack's office.

Owen starred at the stuffed toy Gwen had on her desk. "Seriously, what have I done this time?" he asked the stuffed toy.

Strangely enough the toy had no answer.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

It was late when Owen and Tosh left to go home. Gwen was still working on a report and Ianto went missing two hours ago. Gwen paused to yawn when she heard it, a quiet muffled sobbing. She frowned. Either Mwyfanny or Janet was ill or Torchwood was haunted. It wouldn't surprise her if it was the latter.

Gwen got up and followed the sobbing sound down in to the achieves, it got louder and louder as she followed it through the maze of shelves. She stopped and stared for a moment.

There sat curled up Ianto as he cried into one of Jack's uniform blue shirts.

Without saying a word Gwen sat down next to him and pulled him into a hug.

They sat there in almost complete silence as Ianto continued to cry into her shoulder.

"I...i...miss him...so much"

"I know sweetheart, I know" Gwen cooed as she stroked Ianto's hair. "We all miss him, even Owen though he likes to hide it"

"I love him!"

"I know...so did I" Gwen admitted, she then slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the handkerchief that he had given her. She used it to wipe Ianto's tears and then held it up to his nose to blow. He did. "I'm always here for you when you need a good cry"

Ianto smiled weakly. "I might take you up on that offer"


	5. Chapter 5

It was Friday night and instead of going out with Rhys or getting drunk with her girlfriends, Gwen Cooper was sitting in the Hub with a tub of triple chocolate ice cream between her and Ianto. The paperwork was finally done, Owen buggered off hours ago and Tosh was practically kicked out at eight o'clock allowing the pair of them to have a relaxed chat.

"So go on" Gwen said scooping some ice cream off the edge. "Be honest...is your Dad really a tailor?"

"No...He worked at Debenhams" Ianto admitted. "Me and my Dad...we didn't get on well. I can't really say why but I felt some sort of resentment towards him..."

"What about your Mum?" Gwen asked.

"She...she died, when I was a child. Cancer" Ianto said sadly staring down at the ice cream.

"I'm sorry" Gwen said sympathetically. "Must have been hard for you"

"Yeah...it was...what about you?"

"Nothing much to talk about, both Mum and Dad are alive, happily married for thirty odd years both come from Cardiff families. I'm from one of the oldest families around" Gwen said scrunching her nose as she tried to think of something else to say. "No siblings, the odd pet then and there...but just been me and my parents all my life. Never left Cardiff not even for holidays until I started working for here"

"I went to London after Dad died, couldn't stand staying here" Ianto said staring up at the ceiling. "went to Uni, got recruited at Torchwood One straight out due to my grades and the fact...well lets just say I had an encounter with a book-obsessed alien in the library. Met Lisa and everything was great and then..."

"Canary Wharf" Gwen supplied knowing that the incident was still too hard for Ianto to discuss about. The fact Lisa was half alive for so many months only to be killed by Jack...

"yeah...i was a mess...couldn't stay in London any longer so I went and crashed at my sisters place, searched for the Torchwood here and tried my best to preserve Lisa" Ianto said, Gwen winced at the tragic puppy dog eyes that he had, how he looked like a puppy being tortured. She decided to quickly change the subject.

"So you have a sister?"

"Yes Rhiannon, she stayed in Cardiff, got married, has two kids, live on an estate" Ianto said quickly, he glanced at the ice cream and sighed, it was getting late and he didn't want to talk anymore about his family, he hated talking about his family but Gwen had a horrible talent of getting people to confess their sins, this woman should have been a priest or remained as a police officer he thought sulkily to himself. "I think we should go home"

"Tired?"

"Yes, also I can't eat another bite of this. We should leave it out for Mwyfanny she loves chocolate"

"Ok...Yan?"

"Yes Gwen?"

"You take care of yourself"

"Of course"

"And I'll see you tomorrow"

"As always...goodnight Gwen"

"Good night Yan"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Gwen quietly snuck into the flat, the lights were out which meant Rhys was already in bed, she quietly locked the door and tip-toed towards the bedroom when suddenly the lamp snapped on. Rhys sat there in the armchair in his terry-clothed dressing robe, arms crossed and a furious look on his face.

"What time do you call this?" he asked sounding a lot like her father.

"Erm...quarter to two?" Gwen said nervously.

"Don't give me cheek young lady! I've been worried about you, each night you get home later and later and yes I know you're being overworked because your boss has done a runner, you said but-"

"Rhys, I'm tired can we please deal with this tomorrow?" Gwen asked, really not wanting to get into another fight. They've been fighting regularly since Gwen has not only taken to doing all of Jack's work as well as her own but to staying afterwards to keep Ianto Company. "We can have a nice breakfast and talk things over and come u-"

"Did you remember that tonight was our anniversary?" Rhys interrupted.

Gwen was silent for a moment.

"Shit"

"Yeah I thought so" Rhys said sighing heavily. "I love you Gwen, I really but I know that this won't be the last time you forget something so important and I know you'll try to make up for it but work will get in the way. It always does"

Gwen said nothing as she stared down at the floor. She felt horribly guilty but there was nothing she could do. Yeah she could probably stop spending so much time with Ianto but she couldn't, it went against her policy towards her friends. Ianto needed someone to talk to and she wanted to be there for him.

Rhys placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked up. "Lets go to bed" he said warmly. "Get some sleep and in the morning we'll go to a posh cafe for breakfast to make up for tonight"

Gwen smiled weakly and nodded. She went to the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth before stripping, shoving a baggy shirt that belonged to Rhys on she climbed into bed and snuggled up to Rhys. Rhys fell asleep quickly and began to snore in Gwen's ear. Usually it was rather comforting but tonight it made it difficult for Gwen to fall asleep.

In the end, Gwen got very little sleep as her conscience kept her up all night, nagging at something that she couldn't place her finger on.

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Gwen came in late.

When she did Tosh smiled and called out a good morning, Owen shouted a rude comment and got a stapler thrown at his head and Ianto sighed in relief. He had been worried that something happened to Gwen when she was walking home, he should have known that she just slept in or something.

"Morning Ianto" Gwen called out to him, smiling at him and giving him a wave.

"Morning Ma'am" Ianto said holding his coffee mug up at her in respect.

"Gwen" she corrected. "We're friends Ianto and you called me Gwen before"

"Of course...Ma'am" Ianto said grinning.

"Oh you cheeky man, I'm docking your pay check" Gwen said laughingly as she headed to her workstation. "So what have I missed?"

"Nothing much" Tosh said reassuringly.

Ianto headed towards the kitchen to make Gwen her favourite coffee, he smiled feeling content that he had Gwen to brighten up the day.


	6. Chapter 6

"He's turning right" Tosh's voice could be heard from the comms and she watched the criminal run through the streets of Cardiff. "Going down Baker Street"

"Right" Gwen said running down an alley and turning right. "Owen where are you?"

"Two streets away, near the park" Owen replied. "Yan?"

"One street away, just need to cross the road and I'm on Baker Street" Ianto replied watching the cars whizz pass waiting for an opening.

"Right then, I corner him from behind, Owen you're my back-up. Ianto you stop him running up that street and then we bring him in" Gwen ordered catching up with the young man that was running fast as he could. "Tosh you get some retcon ready the sooner we get him to forget about that little artefact the better"

"Yes Ma'am" Tosh, Ianto and Owen chanted obediently.

Gwen sighed. "_Gwen _my name is _Gwen _not Ma'am! I never heard you two call Jack sir when he gave orders so why call me Ma'am?"

"Well...you're sort of bossy and more serious than Jack was" Tosh admitted shiftily, Owen mumbling agreement while Ianto smartly said nothing.

Gwen frowned but said nothing as she caught up with the criminal, Owen was panting heavily behind her and Ianto blocked the man's way.

"Jonas? Right, that's your name Jonas Derry?" Gwen questioned softly.

"Please don't hurt me; I was only trying to defend myself. I didn't mean to kill them" the man pleaded desperately.

Gwen nodded understandably. "I know sweetheart, you're no killer but we need your weapon otherwise you're just going to kill more people"

"You don't believe me!" Jonas said looking half-crazed as he held the strange alien weapon up at Gwen. "You just want to hurt me like those hooligans, they're always trying to beat me up and steal my wallet. You want to steal my freedom just in the same way well I won't let you"

"Shit, he's a nutter!" Owen exclaimed.

"It could be the effects of the weapon" Tosh reasoned through the comms.

"Now Jonas just put it down, gently put it down on the floor slowly and kick it over. We won't hurt you I promise" Jonas' hand was shaking as he dropped his hand slightly, Gwen took a step forwards and the man panicked again, he shot at her ankle and she fell to the floor. "AH!" she screamed clutching her ankle.

"Son of a bitch" Owen muttered shooting Jonas with the tranquiliser gun he was holding. Ianto quickly swiped the weapon and wrapped it up in plastic bagging while Owen began to check on Gwen.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

"Shit!" Gwen shouted as Owen carelessly bandaged her ankle, Ianto winced as she tightened her grip on his hand. After clearing up Jonas' mess Ianto had helped Owen carry Gwen in the SUV and held her hand all the way through the journey back to the Hub, when they got back Tosh was left to deal with Jonas and achieving the weapon while Ianto carried on comforting Gwen. "Can't you be a little more gentle?" she asked glaring at Owen.

"Could you be a little more careful? A little higher and you would have been killed" Owen retorted. "You're our leader; we can't afford to lose you now"

Gwen sulked and Ianto chuckled. "Don't look like that Gwen, we all care about you really Owen is just being Owen"

"An arsehole that doesn't know how to be subtle even when his life depends on it?" Gwen snarled kicking Owen with her uninjured leg.

"Be nice or I won't give your morphine for the pain" Owen snapped smacking her foot that just hit his chin. He sat up and took his surgical gloves off. "You'll be fine, just no running for the next week let Tosh take over missions while you watch from the CCTV"

"Great just great" Gwen muttered darkly.

Tosh entered the room looking worried. "Are you ok? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine sweetie, just forbidden to run for a while" Gwen said smiling reassuringly. "What about Jonas, is he still here?"

"No I gave him retcon and left him on the streets, he'll wake up thinking he had a rough night drinking" Tosh said, Gwen wrinkled her nose in disgust she hated that uncaring tactic but it was better than leaving the man wandering round with knowledge of what happened over the past two days. "I was just checking in on you, I'll get working on the weapon and brief you tomorrow"

"Make sure you sleep tonight, I don't want you wandering round with bags under your eyes" Gwen said sternly, she got up and almost fell down again as her ankle twanged in pain, Ianto caught her swiftly. "Thank you"

"You shouldn't push yourself" Ianto said calmly as he suddenly swept Gwen up into his arms and began to carry her up the stairs. "I'll take you home"

"N-no that's not necessary" Gwen stuttered, her cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment. She had been injured many times in her line of work but no one, _no one, _has ever carried her in a bridal style up stairs like this.

"I insist" Ianto said firmly, his grip on her tightening. "Who knows what trouble you'll get into on the way home?"

Gwen crossed her arms and pouted as Ianto walked up the stairs carrying her while chuckling quietly. Owen and Tosh watched in silence, it was when Owen was certain that the pair had left the Hub he turned round to face Tosh.

"Reckon those two are shagging?" he asked.

Tosh rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

After a lot of shuffling to get the key out of Gwen's pocket and into the lock, Ianto managed to get into Gwen's flat and lay her down on the sofa. He propped her ankle up on some cushions and then her back; he looked round anxiously round the rather messy room.

"Sorry about the mess, neither me or Rhys have the chance to clean much" Gwen said apologetically.

"It's fine, if you want I could do it for you now" Ianto offered.

"No!" Gwen said mortified. "You're a guest, you shouldn't be forced to clean my flat you do more than enough of it in the Hub"

Ianto smiled feeling flattered that Gwen appreciated the work he did. "I still insist on making you coffee though" he said firmly walking into her kitchen ignoring her protests.

Gwen sighed as Ianto pottered round the kitchen, it appears even out of the Hub Ianto couldn't be kept away from the coffee. She hated people waiting on her in her own home especially when they're supposed to be guests and she should look after them. Before she could say anything the front door opened and Rhys came in. He took one look at her and paled.

"Gwen what happened?" he asked running to her side and picking up her hand.

"It's nothing, I'm fine" Gwen said hastily. "Just a little accident in the field nothing to worry about"

"Nothing to worry about! You're all bandaged up a like a mu..." Rhys trailed off when he saw Ianto at the doorway holding two mugs of coffee.

"Ah...i didn't realise, I should have made three" Ianto mumbled more to himself.

"Who the hell are you?" Rhys demanded rudely.

"Rhys!" Gwen exclaimed shocked. "Be polite! This is Ianto, my best friend"

"I thought Andy was your best friend" Rhys sniffed.

"I can have more than one best friend"

"Erm...maybe I should leave" Ianto said nervously as he placed the two coffee mugs on the table. "I don't wish to intrude"

"You're not" Gwen protested.

"You are" Rhys muttered.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning Ma'am" Ianto said stiffly. "Take care and don't strain yourself"

Gwen watched sadly as Ianto left, walking upright and stiff she hoped nothing that either she or Rhys said upset him. When the door closed Rhys turned and fixed a glare on her face.

"I think we need to talk, don't you?"


	7. Chapter 7

Gwen watched sadly as Ianto left, walking upright and stiff she hoped nothing that either she or Rhys said upset him. When the door closed Rhys turned and fixed a glare on her face.

"I think we need to talk, don't you?"

Rhys sat down on the armchair beside Gwen and sighed heavily. "I love you" he said quietly. Gwen looked up in surprise; she wasn't expecting that, she was actually expecting a scolding of some sort. "You mean a lot to me but this job is getting in the way. You forgot our anniversary last month, you keep cancelling our dates and staying out all hours only to come back injured like this an-"

"I know!" Gwen interrupted harshly, she took a deep breath. "I know" she repeated softly. "But with Jack missing it's a lot more work right now, I'm doing two jobs at the same time and some of the missions are getting more and more difficult"

"The top secret missions that you're not allowed to talk about" Rhys said bitterly.

"Yes"

Rhys let out a frustrated groan. "Be honest with me Gwen, for once just be honest. Were you in love with Jack?"

"N-no" Gwen stuttered.

"I said be honest!" Rhys shouted he closed his eyes. "When he was injured, you ran to him when we were on a date" he said quieter. "You touched him as held him as if he was the most precious thing in the world. Ever since he went missing you haven't been the same....do you love him?"

How to answer that? How to tell the man she had loved for years that she fell heads over heels in short amount of time for a more charming, handsome, dashing man?

"Yes" Gwen whispered feeling tears building up in her eyes as her sight was blurred.

Rhys nodded. "I got asked out today" he said, Gwen looked up as tears trickled down her cheeks. "She was a nice girl, worked in my office, only temporary though planning on moving soon. I admit I was tempted not because I don't love but because you-"

"I'm not here anymore" Gwen finished off quietly.

Rhys nodded again. "I want a proper relationship, where we can be honest with each other, go out without any interruptions, spend evenings cuddling up and watching telly. But best of all where you love me completely and don't fall for other guys"

"So you're breaking up with me?"

"I...I...think it's for the best" Rhys said quietly and terrified. They had been together for years, since university it was terrifying that they would be leaving one another, especially for Rhys who disliked change. Gwen struggled to get up of the sofa, Rhys grabbed her shoulders. "What are you doing?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm going to pack my stuff" Gwen said struggling to get out of Rhys' grasp.

"No don't do that Gwen" Rhys said panicky. "You're injured, I'll pack my stuff and you can have the flat"

"I don't want the bloody flat I want..."

"Yes?" Rhys said half hopefully.

"I don't know what I want" Gwen finished off in a whisper looking down at the floor. "But...i want us to be friends"

"I think that goes without saying" Rhys said smiling sadly as he pushed Gwen back down on the sofa. "I'll start packing"

When he left the room Gwen turned round and buried her head into a cushion and started crying out loud. She hoped Rhys wouldn't have heard sobbing but knew it was likely he did. Within half an hour Rhys had a rucksack full of clothes, he bent down to her side and touched her shoulder.

"I'll come back for the rest of my things when I found somewhere to stay" he said softly. "I'm going to spend tonight either with my Mum or Dav, ok?" Gwen said nothing. "Could I have one last kiss?" Gwen shook her head, refusing to look at him. Rhys sighed and ducked down pressing his lips to her forehead. "Goodbye Gwen"

Gwen waited until Rhys shut the door on his way out.

"Goodbye Rhys"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

It was midday and everyone was beginning to get worried. Gwen usually came in before Owen but after Tosh and Ianto at 9 o'clock on the dot. They had suspected that she would be half an hour or an hour late due to her ankle but now it had been three hours and no one saw even a hair of Gwen Cooper.

"Do you think something happened?" Tosh asked worriedly.

Owen yawned and stretched out in his chair. "Nah I reckon that Rhys bloke is treating her like a princess while us little people have to do all the work" he said.

"But she hasn't phoned!" Tosh protested.

"Gwen has been injured worse than before" Ianto said quietly pouring Owen another cup of coffee. "But I never prevented her from working"

"Well you can go over and check in on her" Owen suggested taking a gulp of his coffee. "And buy some Burger King on the way back; I'll have a double bacon cheeseburger with large fries and a large coke"

Ianto plastered a fake smile. "And you Tosh?" he asked politely.

"Just a burger meal with a diet coke please" Tosh replied.

Ianto nodded. "I'll go and check in on Gwen then" he said picking up the SUV keys.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

When Ianto knocked on the door to his surprise there was no furious Rhys answering the door but a weak, tired and drained looking Gwen. Her hair was tangled, her eyes had huge smudges underneath them and she looked so pale that she was almost grey.

"Yan" she croaked.

"What happened? Did your ankle get worse? Shall I get Owen over to check it out? Where's Rhys?" Ianto asked quickly; worry building up inside of him. Gwen suddenly rested her forehead on Ianto's shoulder and he was aware of tears soaking into his jacket. "Gwen what happened?" he whispered.

"He left me Yan" she sobbed. "First Jack, now Rhys who's going to leave me next?"

Ianto wrapped his arms round her; he knew she was in love with Jack. It was obvious as day but he never commented on it, was never jealous because he knew how easy it was to fall in love with Jack. He knew Jack loved her back or maybe just lusted her back like he lusted over Ianto. It didn't matter, what mattered was Gwen pushed her feelings aside to comfort Ianto and now she was just as heartbroken as he was, maybe even more so.

"I will never leave you" he whispered. "Never"


	8. Chapter 8

It's been three weeks since Rhys left.

Unable to stand living alone with all the reminders of the long lost happy life she had, Gwen moved her clothes and necessaries into the Hub, where she slept every night on the sofa, refusing to sleep in Jack's bed. The rest of her stuff was residing in boxes in the Torchwood Storage until she can bring herself to find a new flat. Rhys had permanently moved in with Dav and keeps in contact with Gwen every so often.

Ianto has not left Gwen's side during waking hours. He had partnered with her on field work, sat next to her and helped with the paperwork, ate all three meals with her...Gwen was beginning to wonder once again if Ianto had a flat. Ianto however wanted Gwen to be Gwen again. She was no longer the life in the Hub, she was depressed, constantly eating comforting food and often found crying in the toilets for the first two weeks. Recently she was beginning to get testy and Owen had more than the occasional stapler lobbed at him.

"We're going out tonight" Ianto said calmly to her. "Now in fact"

"What?" Gwen said surprised.

"You can't spend forever in here"

"Why not? You and Jack did!" Gwen snapped crossing her arms.

Ianto sighed. "You deserve to go out for a descent meal, a night in a club to let your hair loose besides the dancing will do you good didn't you say you've gone up a jean size?"

"Ooh, you cheeky man!" Gwen growled playfully as she smacked his shoulder. "Fine I'll do it but you got to wear something other than that suit! You got a nice arse, show it by wearing jeans"

Ianto blushed. "Eight o'clock, be ready or I'll drag you out naked if I must" he said sternly before leaving the Hub hurriedly.

Owen and Tosh who had been watching the whole exchange turned round to face each other. "And you still think they're not shagging?" he asked.

Tosh slapped him with a rolled up newspaper.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Ianto felt uncomfortable in his jeans. It wasn't something he usually wore, he preferred wearing his suits since they not only made him look intelligent but the fabric was soft against his skin. Owen would scoff at that but Ianto didn't give a damn, comfort comes first and besides Owen was the one complaining how his jeans were too rough and tight to run in just last week...

Gwen looked beautiful, it was the first time he had seen her wear make-up in weeks and it had an astounding effect, made her look more alive and radiant than before. She wore a short black skirt and a deep red top, the most girlish thing he had seen her wear since she preferred the comfort of jeans. Ianto confessed silently to himself that he had found it difficult to take his eyes off of her during dinner. The dim-lighted room only made her look even more beautiful as her pale skin gained an ethereal glow.

After dinner they went to a rather good nightclub where Gwen engaged in a game of shots, to Ianto's amusement and horror she had gotten drunk rather quickly and needed to be guided away by certain perverted men who were very eager to get her into an alleyway. Gwen had forced him to dance and many times he was very certain she had groped his buttocks, by the time he left the club he was very red in the face.

"Thank you Yan" Gwen slurred into his ear as she staggered across the street, clinging tightly to his arm. "I had a grape time...i mean...you know..."

Ianto chuckled. "I know Gwen" he said patting her hand.

"Ianto...i think 'ack is an idiot leaving thomeone tweet and thexy" her slurring started to sound a lot like a lisp as her alcohol smelling breath tickled his ear as she got closer to him. "I really, really like you Ianto more than a friend but...i can't do anything, not right now...thame though I would love to thong you"

Ianto bit his lip to stop laughing. "Really?"

"Yep!" Gwen said cheerfully pulling away and forcing him to look at her. "I'll thong you right now if you like"

"No thank you Gwen, it would be taking an advantage"

"Nonsense because it'll be ME who shall take the advantage of YOU!" Gwen said waving her arms madly as she swayed, Ianto reached out and caught her before she fell back. "Thuch a gentlelady" Gwen mumbled.

"I'm not" Ianto mumbled rather miffed he got called a lady.

Gwen leaned up to kiss him only to miss his lips and end up kissing his chin. "See taking advantage" she said before collapsing.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

"Urgh my head" Gwen groaned as she clutched her head the next morning. She had woken up with her make up cleaned off and her shoes missing as she was tucked up in her make shift bed. Despite her shower, aspirin and coffee she was still groaning and considering the idea of sleeping on her desk. "I wanna die" she moaned.

"It's your own fault" Ianto scolded softly as he put a glass of what Gwen could only describe as sludge in front of her. "You didn't have to drink so much. Drink this it's Grandma Jones' secret hangover cure, Rhiannon swears by it"

"Thank you" Gwen mumbled gulping the sludge quickly and pulling a face. "Disgusting" she muttered however her headache was already clearing up and she was beginning to feel miles better. "So...Yan, I didn't do anything embarrassing last night did I?"

"Well you began lisping" Ianto said thoughtfully, Gwen nodded knowingly she had done it many times since she was a teenager. "And then you babbled about thongs"

Gwen gaped at him. "I-I-I did not!" she spluttered. "You're making it up!"

Ianto smirked. "You don't know that for sure" he said before strolling off towards the kitchen to make Tosh's and Owen's coffee (who both turned up just this very moment.

"Come back here you cheeky bugger! I want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!" Gwen shouted.

"Blimey what got your knickers in a twist?" Owen asked. "Did you and lover boy just have a spat?"

Gwen picked up her stapler and threw it at Owen.


	9. Chapter 9

Owen and Gwen were running up fifteen flights of stairs. Once again an average human had gotten hold of something alien, instead of it being a weapon like the last time it was a powerful alien hairdryer. Harmless but the human was a local gangster that had been using it the blow people of the roof and it was obvious he was planning on doing the same to them.

"Bloody bastard, how much further?" Owen whined.

"Two flights?" Gwen replied uncertain.

"Why the hell are we doing this, why can't Ianto and Tosh do the running?"

"Because they deal with the police and public and will you quit whining?" they ran round the corner and started up another flight of stairs. "It's irritating"

"So are you and Yan dating?" Owen asked groaning at the sight of another staircase.

"Is this really the time to be asking? And also why are you so interested?" Gwen asked raising an eyebrow at Owen as she jogged up the flight of stairs.

"I'm just worried about your welfare, I mean you're my mate right? Got to look out for your friends"

"Owen you haven't got any friends!" Gwen snapped. "You're just being nosey!"

"So are you?"

Gwen didn't answer instead she burst through the door to the roof and held her gun up at the smarmy bloke in a suit. "FREEZE!" she shouted.

The man smirked. "Like a gun will work" he said arrogantly stepping slowly around, Gwen circling him. "Thank you doll-face you just went right where I want you" Gwen was momentarily confused until she realised her back was facing not Owen and the door but the ledge.

The man held up what looked like a giant and powerful gun but was really the alien hairdryer up and shot her with a blast of hot air before she could dive out of the way. She was thrown full force off of the roof.

"GWEN!" Owen bellowed horrified, he immediately shot the man without a second thought and ran to the ledge. "GWEN!"

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Ianto was gritting his teeth as the police cars took their time in front of them. Unlike Owen he refused to take advantage of being higher up than the police, especially when Gwen and Owen probably already taken down the gangster.

"Oh my god Gwen!" Tosh screamed her hands immediately slapping against her mouth in fright.

Ianto almost swerved onto the pavement as to his horror Gwen was hanging off the roof, her legs kicking as she tried to keep her grip on the ledge. His heart began to thud faster and harder in fear and he kept begging silently that she wouldn't die. Please don't die, you can't die, I need you, keep holding on.

His heart almost stopped when one of Gwen's hands lost its grip and she fell a few more inches. Tosh grabbed hold of his arm, her nails digging into his skin reminding him to breathe. Suddenly Gwen was being pulled up by who Tosh and Ianto knew was Owen and the pair sighed in relief.

"Oh thank god" Tosh whispered.

"Don't say that to Owen, he'll make you polish his shoes" Ianto joked weakly trying to shake off the fear and pain of Gwen almost dying.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Ianto was avoiding her.

She could tell. After months of building up a strong friendship she had learnt how Ianto avoids people. Generally he refuses to look at her at all while handing coffee, calls her Ma'am and spends hours at a time hiding somewhere. If he was really made he wouldn't even pass her, her coffee instead he'll pass it to Tosh to hand over...which was exactly what he did.

Gwen was determined to find out why and solve it soon. She's depending too much on Ianto's company that it made her rather nervous when she couldn't be secure about their friendship. Owen commented it made her twitchy causing her to throw another stapler at his head (Owen ducked and ran to the autopsy room).

With Tosh's help Gwen found and cornered Ianto in the kitchen.

"All right, I want to know why you're angry at me" Gwen bluntly started, arms crossed and glaring. "Did I insult you without realising? Did I do something that upset you? Or does it have to do with that argument about who's hotter Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp"

Ianto sighed heavily but refused to turn around and face her. "It's none of those things, don't worry about it. I'll be fine in the morning Ma'am" he said politely.

"It's flipping Gwen!" Gwen shouted. "For god sake Ianto I need you to tell me because it's tearing me up! I'm depending too much on you and I...I need you" she finished off rather embarrassed and quiet.

"Have you ever thought" Ianto whispered. "That I need you just as much as you need me? That I depend on you as much as you depend on me...that I adore you as much as you care for me"

"I don't just care, I adore you" Gwen replied softly reaching out and touching his shoulder. "Look at me Yan"

Ianto turned round to face her, his face was pale and slightly terrified. Almost like a deer caught in headlights.

"I almost lost you today and at that moment I realised not only how much I needed you but..." Ianto stared down at his feet, his cheeks flushing a faint pink. "How much I would like to...court you, you could say"

Gwen bit her lip to suppress the large grin that felt like it would burst. "Well...we could always go on a normal dinner and movie date if you like. Well normal as it can get considering it's us and we're most likely to have a weevil or something crash into the restaurant or worse Owen wa-"

Ianto interrupted Gwen's babble with a quick chaste kiss on the lips. "Saturday night? I'll pick you up at seven?" he suggested.

"Yeah...sounds brilliant"

"See I told you Tosh, they are shagging" Owen said loudly from the kitchen doorway, Ianto and Gwen turned round to glare at him while Tosh bashed her head against the doorframe out of sheer frustration.

"Tosh" Gwen said gritting her teeth. "Slap him"


	10. Chapter 10

The next two months were bliss.

Despite the up rise in weevil activity (Owen reckoned it was breeding season) and the large amount of paperwork, Gwen had felt like she was floating on a fluffy cloud and according to Tosh so did Ianto. Owen was disgusted and continually made rude comments but Gwen finally learned the art of ignoring Owen (much to the stapler's relief). Their first date went smoothly with a dinner in a fancy restaurant followed by an old black and white movie in an old cinema that Ianto found.

One thing Gwen could never fault in Ianto is that he knew all the places to go and how to surprise her. They went to various restaurants, had picnics in the park, ate fish and chips on the docks, went to multiple fun fairs (where Gwen had gleefully won a stuffed bear for Ianto); saw movies and once Ianto surprised her by getting her to dress up and taking her to a proper dancing club. Never before did she feel like a duchess or something than that night when Ianto taught her all the classical ballroom dances.

The only downside to all of this was Gwen finally learned how much of a life Owen and Tosh were lacking. The pair was always in the Hub, watching the CCTV whenever Gwen and Ianto went on a date. So they knew exactly where they went and what they did. Gwen made a habit of turning CCTV off in the Hub if Ianto stayed over much to Owen's annoyance.

Also to Owen's annoyance Gwen had numerously dragged him and Tosh along for a 'double date'. "We're not a couple" he would grumble each time. "So why bother" and Gwen or Ianto would quickly change to topic to hide Tosh's rather hurt look.

To Gwen's immense surprise, Ianto had asked her to move in not soon after. "I hate seeing you living in the Hub, it's unhealthy and you shouldn't need to worry if Owen is perving at you in the shower on CCTV" to her even more surprise they got on even better at home as they scheduled the chores to each other and had similar habits even if Gwen was a lot more messy than Ianto.

Everything was perfect and right and comfortable and Gwen was barely thinking about Jack these days. Neither was Ianto or Tosh or Owen, they had learned to live without him.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

The door opened to reveal a chubby, brunette who had a large and beautiful smile as she ushered Ianto and Gwen in. "come in, come in, oh come here and let me hug you" she said pulling Ianto into a bone crushing hug. "You're still skinny! How do you manage?"

"Rhiannon, it's good to see you again" Ianto said pulling away. "This is Gwen Cooper my girlfriend"

"Hello sweetheart, oh look at you, Ianto she's gorgeous" Rhiannon said enthusiastically as she hugged Gwen. "So how did you meet?"

"At work" Gwen answered. "I'm actually Ianto's boss"

Rhiannon made a dramatic shocked face. "Ianto you naughty boy" she said smacking her brother's shoulder. "What have you been up to?" she turned back to Gwen. "You're Welsh as well? Local?"

"Oh yes, my family has been in Cardiff for centuries" Gwen said.

"A lovely Welsh girl that's also your boss at that top secret civil servant place" Rhiannon said looking satisfied though slightly miffed that she didn't know what the top secret civil servant place was. "You have done well Ianto, Mum and Dad would approve, well come into the living room, don't dawdle in the hallway, let me take your coats"

"Civil servant?" Gwen whispered in Ianto's ear.

"Well we do clean up after the aliens don't we?" Ianto replied.

"True"

"Kids say hello to your Uncle Ianto and hopefully your future Auntie Gwen"

Both Ianto and Gwen blushed, Ianto looked horrified that Rhiannon was being so forward about things like that. Two children with brown hair didn't even look at Ianto as they continued to play their console game. Ianto pulled out his wallet and took out two tenners which he pressed in the children's hand before whirling back.

Gwen gave him a look and he shrugged back. "Hello" Gwen said to the children. "I'm Gwen Cooper" the children pressed pause on their game and turned round, the girl smiled up shyly at her while the boy stared at her, examining her carefully.

"Weren't you that policewoman who gave us the crime prevention talk?" the boy asked.

"Err...probably but I got promoted and now work with your Uncle Ianto" Gwen answered. The boy shrugged and turned back to his computer game just as the living room door was thrown open and a chubby brown haired man ran in scooping Ianto up into another bone crunching hug.

"Ahah! There you are Ianto! What's this I hear you got a girlfriend? I thought you were gay?"

Gwen muffled her laughter at Ianto's annoyed expression as he sighed heavily and struggled to get out of his brother in law's grasp.

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"So how was meeting the family last night?" Owen asked as the four of them ran down the street chasing after someone who might have useful information on the latest rift activity.

"It went fine, they were perfectly nice and made me feel welcome" Gwen answered.

"You never lived with them" Ianto muttered darkly. "And do we have to talk about our personal lives when the guy is getting away?"

They sped up their run and chased the woman down an alleyway; she scrabbled desperately up the wall only to fall back down. They pulled out their tranquiliser guns and held them up.

"Freeze or we shoot" Owen growled. The woman looked round desperately before pulling out her own gun. "Ah shit" Owen said. "Look Miss we don't want to hurt you, we just want to take you in and ask a few questions and then let you g-"

The woman pulled the trigger and Gwen automatically pushed Ianto down, falling on top of him as the bullet flew just where he had stood. Owen snarled before shooting the woman with the tranquiliser gun.

"You two ok?" he asked, Ianto nodded. "Gwen?"

Gwen sat there shell-shocked as she stared down at Ianto. "You were almost killed" she whispered.

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"For the millionth time I wasn't" Ianto shouted, he was frustrated, irritated and just plain annoyed. Gwen managed to get over the shock when they were in the Hub and suddenly turned into a ballistic nagging woman. "I'm here, I'm fine, you saved me now please get over it. This is Torchwood; we risk our lives all the time, hell you died once!"

"That's not the point!" Gwen shrieked. "And that doesn't matter, I'm alive and it's over"

"Oh so it's ok for you to die or almost die but it's not for me?" Ianto snapped banging a hand on the kitchen counter. They were in his flat, it was getting late and he just wanted this ridiculous argument to be over. "It's ok for me to feel useless, shell shocked, horrified at the prospect of losing you, thinking I have lost you and yet when it's the other way round it's against the law?"

"I didn't say that!"

"You implied it!"

Gwen sunk down onto the sofa and buried her face into her hands. "It's just...i love you so much" she mumbled, Ianto was thankful that he understood what she said because it came out very muffled. She pulled away from her hands and looked at him, tears falling down her cheeks. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I almost didn't get the chance to tell you...if that bullet hit..."

"But it didn't" Ianto said softly, he walked out of the kitchen and round the sofa, knelt in front of her and took her hand into his. "I'm here, I'm never leaving, I'll be by your side forever"

"You promise?" Gwen whispered.

Ianto slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "I do more than promise" he flicked the lid open to reveal a small diamond on a silver band. "I'm asking...Gwen Cooper, will you marry me?" Gwen's eyes widened in shock. She sat there motionless and speechless, Ianto edge away slightly. "I know it might be a bit too soon and the timing isn't right. I was planning on asking Christmas or maybe New Years but...well..."

"Yes" Gwen whispered.

"Yes?"

"Yes, Ianto Jones I will marry you" Gwen said half crying, half laughing as he slipped the ring on her finger. She wrapped her arms round his neck and pressed her lips hungrily on his.


	11. Chapter 11

It had been three months since Ianto had proposed. Both Owen and Tosh had been excited for them, though Owen complains regularly on why they had to discuss weddings all the time. February had started and to the team's amusement a blowfish-headed alien had stolen a sports car. That they were now chasing.

"Species not on record. DNA-type says some sort of land fish" Tosh said typing rapidly on her built in computer. "And look Gwen no offense but your friends on the force scare me, they're talking about a stripper-"

"All I'm saying is, you are speeding - and there are children" Gwen scolded Owen from her passenger seat. "Tosh I know Sharee can be a little bit too enthusiastic but there's nothing terrifying about a striper, Owen you better not hire one for Ianto's Stag Night"

"Tosh and Sharee better not hire one for you" Ianto muttered from the backseat.

" Well, if kids are out at midnight, they've got it coming and please stop the wedding talk, it's all you lot talk about and since this is Ianto we're on about the Stag Night is just going to be me, a bottle of wine and Ianto in his hair rollers" Owen grumbled speeding up just to annoy Gwen even more.

"Look I just want everything to go smoothly" Gwen said. "I don't want to find out my fiancée ended up in Scotland because _you _dumped him in a lorry naked. Also with things like big fish with gun over there what if an alien walks in and blows the place up?"

"Gwen I promise you, nothing will go wrong. I and Tosh will work our butts off to make sure everything goes right. Jack's gone so that means half the aliens won't bother turning up" Owen said reassuringly yet patronizing. "So please darling keep your freckles on because nothing in the world can go wrong"

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_BANG!_

Everyone stared shocked at the blowfish that now had a bullet in his forehead. Blood splattered across the curtains behind him and the blowfish let go of his hostage as he dropped to the floor. Dead. The woman in Gwen's arms pushed away and ran to her daughter while Ianto looked at his gun shocked, he knew he didn't fire it...he turned around and gasped as the last person he ever thought to be there was there.

Jack Harkness in his blue coat glory holding up his gun.

Everyone stared at him shocked.

Jack chuckled and let his arm drop. "Hey kids. Did you miss me?"

Everyone turned round and glared at Owen who groaned and smacked his forehead. "Me and my big mouth" he muttered.

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The team were feeling edgy towards Jack. Not only had he just waltzed back in as if he never left causing a bit of conflict since the others were used to taking orders from Gwen but Jack was obviously planning to either get back with Ianto or start up a relationship with Gwen. No one was sure who'll he make the first move on. Before they could interrogate him some rift activity caught their attention, a car park block where they found a body at the bottom, either he jumped off from the roof or someone pushed him off. Suddenly Jack's strange bulky black watch activated and a hologram of a handsome man appeared inviting Jack for a drink and talk. Jack ran off with the SUV causing the others to grab a taxi as they started to rant about him.

"So...are we going to tell him about you two or what?" Owen asked after they mumbled their agreements that it was more fun with Jack around.

"I don't know" Gwen said. "I don't know what to do, I never really expected him to come back"

"I gave up hope as well" Ianto admitted.

"Well obviously or otherwise you two would have never-"

Tosh stomped on Owen's foot, shutting him up. They caught up with Jack and were introduced to Captain John Hart who apparently was once a lover to Jack, almost like a wife. John told them about three canisters that got caught up in a rift storm, all containing toxic radiation and all landed in Cardiff. The team had to find them quick before Cardiff blew up, Jack took John to the Hub so they could track them down after taking all of John's weapons including a samurai sword, guns, laser knife and seventeen explosives Gwen turned round to face Jack.

"We need to talk, alone, now" she snapped marching off towards the cells; Jack looked nervously at the others who shrugged while John gleefully waved goodbye.

"Think she's gonna tell him now?" Owen asked.

"Maybe" Ianto murmured watching Gwen and Jack leave.

"I hope so because all of this lying is not healthy for us" Owen said crossing his arms.

"Owen, I believe that's the smartest thing you said in years" Tosh said pretending to look shocked.

"Why tha- hey!"

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"He's a compulsive liar! Why is he in the building?" Gwen hissed as they walked along the cell corridor.

"There's the tiniest one percent chance he's breaking a habit of a lifetime and telling the truth. Which means this city is in danger" Jack said calmly giving Gwen a cool stare that made her slightly nervous, sometimes she had a feeling he could read her thoughts, her deepest darkest fantasies and it really disturbed her.

"What did he mean by a Time Agent? You've never mentioned it" she asked quickly.

"That was in the past" Jack said coldly, Gwen felt her eye twitch in annoyance.

"Oh, okay. Here we go again. You know everything about me, Jack, why d'you keep shutting me out?" she snapped, hands on her hips.

Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "Here and now -- that's what's important. The work we do the person I am now. That's what I'm proud of" he said, Gwen was rather relieved to know her heart was no longer beating fast whenever he touched her but she could still smell that gorgeous scent he wore that drove her nuts.

"Then why did you desert us?" she asked miserably, knowing Jack was never going to tell her but she needed something, Ianto needed something, to know it was none of their faults. "Where did you go? No, no, come on, where did you go? Tell me. Talk to me" she pleaded.

"I have died so many times. Been dragged back into life, like being hauled over broken glass. I saw the end of the world" Jack said in a dark yet seductive voice that always got her attention, what made Torchwood seem so wonderful in a dark way when she first met him.

"How?" Gwen whispered unaware how close Jack was to her, she was so intrigued to know what he had seen.

Jack smirked. "Doesn't matter now. But after it was all over ... I knew I belong here. What kept me fighting was the thought of coming home to you" he said in a loving way, so tender that Gwen almost thought he was Ianto causing her heart to skip a beat as he trailed his hand gently down her arm, causing goose bumps to rise, he looked right into her eyes and smiled fondly as he took her hand. Suddenly the smile vanished as he held her hand up to her face. "What's this?" he demanded furiously.

Gwen widened her eyes in fake surprise. "That's an engagement ring, that is" she said.

"You're getting married?" Jack asked looking rather hurt. It was that moment that Gwen knew if she said it was Ianto's then he might fly of the handle, or give everyone the cold shoulder or worse jump of the building. It was all right to lose her but to lose Ianto as well?

"Yes. Rhys asked" she blurted out as she pulled her hand away from his. "When you were away"

"Wow! Gwen Cooper getting married" Jack said sounding stunned, she nodded. "Down on one knee?" he asked, she frowned inwardly knowing Jack wanted to know if it was something he could top, though she knew no matter how charming and loving and romantic Jack Harkness could be it was useless to settle down with him. He'll just vanish the next day.

"He tried to, and then he had a twinge in his back and had to lie on the settee, and that's when he popped the question" she lied knowing Rhys' habits from the back of her hand, after all they had lived together for five years.

"And you said yes" Jack said disbelievingly.

"Well, no-one else will have me" Gwen said with a shrug. She knew it was truth; Jack runs all the time, Rhys couldn't handle her being busy all the time, forgetting important things like anniversaries and Owen pretty much used her and ignored her. To be fair though she never wanted more than to forget the horrors of Torchwood with Owen.

Ianto wanted her and she wanted him back. Ianto loved her and she loved him back. It was perfect.

"Good for you" Jack said quietly before bending down and kissing her cheek, she silently gasped when his lips lingered there longer than normal before he pulled away. "We should get back to work" he said not looking at her in the eye at all.

"Mm-hm" Gwen mumbled. She waited until Jack had left the corridor before she banged her head against the cold stone wall. "Goddamnit!" she cursed.


	12. Chapter 12

Ianto was preparing five cups of coffee for the conference meeting with John Hart. He was out right refusing to serve the perverted Captain Hart who was far worse than Jack ever was. Something about the man creeped Ianto out and he wanted him out of Cardiff as soon as possible. Suddenly Gwen burst into the kitchen looking rather upset.

"I couldn't do it!" she blurted out. "I couldn't tell him that not only was I never going to be with him that I took you away as well, I ended up claiming I was engaged to Rhys. I'm so sorry Ianto, I messed it up, god what are we going to do? What if something insane happens and we all end up retconned or worse?"

Ianto cupped Gwen's face. "Deep breaths Gwen, you need to calm down" Gwen slowly took deep breaths, her face beginning to relax as she rested her head into Ianto's hands. "It's going to be fine, if Jack made the first move on you and you rejected him then that means either tonight or tomorrow he'll make a move on me. I'll reject him, he'll sulk and lick his wounds then we ease him into the idea of us getting married"

"You think it'll work?" Gwen asked.

"Yes" Ianto said firmly. "We'll just have to lie to Jack for a while, Tosh and Owen can help us but this does mean for a while we can't publicly display our affections"

"Can't we still hug?" Gwen asked nervously, unsure how she'll cope without having some sort of comfort from Ianto.

Ianto's hands slid down her face, brushing against her collarbone, dancing down her waist before pulling her in and wrapping his arms round her tightly, his nose buried into her sweet scented hair. "Of course" Ianto whispered. "We can't deny each other some contact otherwise we'll go insane" he felt Gwen's lips form into a smile against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms tightly round his body. "I love you Gwen"

"I love you too"

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Ianto gritted his teeth in annoyance. He knew why Gwen wanted to work with John, he knew she was going to make him talk, work out how his mind works but the man was a flirt and just won't stop hitting on her. If he heard one more cheesy line he might spill scolding hot coffee on the man's crotch. Taking a deep breath to calm down and he moved to stand with Tosh and Owen who were preparing to find their canister.

"So did she tell him?" Owen asked. "Because the tension in that room was running high and Jack looked rather pissed off"

"She panicked" Ianto said quietly. "And ended up saying she's engaged to Rhys"

Owen banged his head against the desk. "Fuck" he muttered.

"Tosh, could you help delete some of the CCTV whenever I ask?" Ianto asked pleadingly with what Gwen called his puppy dog eyes.

"Of course" Tosh said.

Owen's head shot up. "Oh no way, no way, we cannot lie to Jack! Seriously the man can read minds or something; I think he's Dumbledore's kid or maybe he is Dumbledore! Its rule number one, if you lie to someone it can't be Jack!"

"Well if you like to be the one to tell Jack the truth..."

"And be hung out of a window in a very high building by my ankles? I think not"

Ianto smirked. "Then you have to help us as well"

Owen groaned. "We're doomed and incredibly fucked up"

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The doors of a lift opened up and Jack stepped out with Ianto a couple steps behind him. Jack took a deep breath and exhaled. "Oh, yeah! Loving that office-y feel!" he said looking round the room, it was a plain, slightly crowded with desks office which Ianto began to go through. "I always get excited in these places. To me, they're exotic. Office romances ... photocopying your butt ...well, maybe not your butt, although as we're here, why don't we ..."

"The rift was active at these coordinates approximately two hundred feet above ground. That means this floor or the roof" Ianto interrupted, feeling slightly irritated. He tried to shrug of Jack's penetrating glare by going back to looking through a desk drawer.

"How are you, Ianto?" Jack asked pleasantly.

"All the better for having you back, sir" Ianto said politely as he turned and checked through a desk that was furthest away from Jack.

"Can we maybe drop the sir, now? While I was away, I was thinking ... maybe we could, you know, when this is all done ... dinner? A movie?" Jack asked nervously, Ianto swallowed last year this would have been a dream for him. Jack had never asked him out before; it was literally just sex in the Hub and some other places.

Ianto turned to look at Jack in disbelief. "Are you asking me out on a date?" he asked.

"Interested?"

"No" Ianto said flatly before going back to the drawer.

Jack was gobsmacked. Being turned down by Gwen was sort of expected, she was stubborn and as the saying goes hell has no fury than a woman scorned. But Ianto to turn him down? Really unexpected, Ianto was always he's backup. If he can't get a date then he'll go to Ianto. Yes it was selfish and yes it was unfair on the handsome man in the suit but Jack had come to care for Ianto almost as much as Gwen. It was hard to pick between the two but never had he thought both would reject him. His ego, pride and feelings were rather hurt by this, he had thought if the Doctor didn't want him around then the team, Gwen and Ianto especially would want him forever.

"Why not?" Jack demanded. Ianto gave him no answer, he just continued looking and Jack had a feeling he won't get his answer tonight. "Looks like we're gonna have to go through every drawer, bin and plant pot" he said impatiently.

"Right. Okay. I'll do this floor, don't want you getting overexcited, and you take the roof. You're good on roofs" Ianto said in what Jack thought as a rather bitter tone thought he can't imagine why.

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Ianto never thought he would hate anyone completely until he met John Hart. First Ianto had to find Owen and Tosh, fumbling as they stitched Owen's gunshot wound up and then hurrying to find Gwen. Ianto felt his insides freeze at the sight of her lying there frozen; as if she was already dead it was lucky the med-kit had anti-toxins that revived her back to health. They cornered him in Owen's autopsy room with their guns; Jack terrified him when he revealed he was immortal. When they dragged him back to Jack's office and assembled the pieces together to reveal that John killed a beautiful woman who tricked him, instead of a diamond it was a bomb that attached itself to John. It was about to go off in ten minutes and there was no way they could take it off without it exploding. Ianto was gleefully counting down with his stopwatch.

Then the bastard grabbed Gwen and handcuffed her to him.

Owen was venting out exactly what Ianto was feeling by trying to shot John, Gwen and Tosh calmly discussed the rift predictor programme, Gwen planning to sacrifice herself by throwing herself and John into the rift before it exploded. Ianto felt tears run down his cheeks though he calmly counted down.

Gwen hauled John out of the Hub, Ianto and Tosh began to follow.

"Cut his hand off! " Ianto hissed.

"That would activate the bomb" Tosh told him calmly causing Ianto to let out a frustrated growl.

Gwen drove the whole way back to where they found the dead body. The rift whole was already beginning to grow as she pulled John across the roof towards it. She turned round and told Ianto she loved him, Ianto was pretty sure she was going to give him permission to go back to Jack. Something he couldn't do, Gwen dies then he'll take retcon something he had decided long ago.

Before Gwen could finish her sentence Owen and Jack appeared. Owen furiously driving a needle into John, injecting what looked like blood. Whatever it was it worked because the bomb dropped off and Jack chucked it back into the rift. It exploded and caused time to revert. Ianto groaned at the idea of instead of sleeping, spending the night doing paperwork on John Hart.

Three tiring hours later and Gwen was practically knocked out on her desk, drooling slightly. Ianto smiled down at her fondly; putting down the coffee he was going to give her and stroking her hair.

"We're going to go home" he told Tosh who was still typing rapidly, Owen was snoring in his chair didn't say anything while Tosh nodded.

Ianto scooped Gwen out off her chair and carried her in his arms towards the cog door when Jack appeared glaring. "Where do you think you're going?" Jack asked coldly. Ianto knew he was jealous. "If you're going to take her home, don't bother I'll do it since her flat is further away from yours"

"Actually sir, Gwen moved flats recently" Ianto lied smoothly. "She now lives in my building and I have a spare key to her flat. So I can easily take her home, after all this isn't exactly the first time I've had to carry her home. She's been working overtime since she took over"

Jack glared with an icy look but said nothing as he stepped aside for Ianto who was feeling rather smug. Unknown to both men Tosh had pulled out a small sheet and began a tally chart.

Ianto was winning.


	13. Chapter 13

"This has got to stop" Owen said firmly. "No more lying, no more getting Tosh to cut out bits of the CCTV and no more having me and Tosh cover for you"

Owen, Ianto and Gwen were sitting in a Starbucks not so far from the docks. It had been two weeks since Jack had come back and things had been incredibly tense. Jack would flirt with either Ianto or Gwen only to be knocked back causing him to sulk in his office for hours on end. Tosh and Owen were clumsily trying to hide Gwen and Ianto when they slipped off for a romantic moment which ended in awkward moments.

"Do you know because of last night Jack now thinks I'm shagging Tosh?" Owen snarled as he ripped the sugar packet open furiously. "It's why we're here. Jack's either telling Tosh to be careful or he's trying to seduce her away from me, take your pick"

"Owen are you jealous?" Ianto asked amused.

"NO!"

Several people turned their heads to look at the threesome; all three ignored the customers and workers, all too used to being stared at during work. "Owen, there's nothing wrong with being jealous" Gwen said calmly sipping her coffee. "Tosh would happily go on a date with you"

"This isn't about me and Tosh. This is about you two lying! It's not fair on me and Tosh, we do have lives you know...well I have a life I can't say much about Tosh"

Ianto and Gwen glared at Owen in defence of Tosh. "You know out of all of us being squeamish about lying I would have thought it would be Tosh" Gwen said thoughtfully. "Not you"

"I take offence of that! Just because I'm rude, sarcastic, a bit mean-"

"A bit mean?" Ianto repeated disbelievingly.

"Doesn't mean I'm not an honest guy deep down" Owen continued as if Ianto never spoke. "I do care for Jack and you lot and this is doing nothing but destroying our friendships. So tell him, now"

Gwen and Ianto shared a glance. "We'll try, soon" Gwen promised.

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It was rather late at night. After an evening in where Ianto cooked (Gwen really, really loves this man) and the pair snuggled together reading their books, Gwen turned round after getting to the half-way mark of her book and sealed her lips against Ianto's. The books were forgotten when things began to heat up, Gwen had already taken Ianto's suit jacket and tie off when the phone rang.

"Forget it" Gwen murmured before dropping kisses down Ianto's jaw.

"It might be work" Ianto reminded her patiently as he sat up, arms still round her waist.

Gwen growled as she picked the phone up and answered. "What?" she demanded furiously.

"Gwen is that you? What are you doing at Ianto's flat?" Jack asked rather taken back.

"Err...double date!" Gwen said quickly. "Ianto's got this girl over, he was a bit nervous" Ianto raised an eyebrow at her, he maybe shy and nervous round certain situations but he had no problem dating a girl. "So I and Rhys came over for a dinner and DVD"

"Right" Jack said and Gwen winced at the hard edge she could hear in his voice. "So who's the girl? Is she beautiful?"

"Oh definitely" Gwen said smirking slightly. "Ianto's a very lucky man to have her" Ianto's lips twitched in amusement. "But that's not why you're calling is it?"

Jack sighed. "I've been caught out" he said dramatically. "There's been a murder and serious injury. One guy thrown out of the window, another seriously mangled up and another knocked out. The third guy's wife having a panic attack and something is just not right. Police think it might be our area of expertise. Tosh is already here, Owen's on his way probably cursing me just need you and Ianto"

"All right we'll be over there in five or ten minutes" Gwen said getting off of Ianto who was picking up his tie and jacket up. "But you owe us both a night off"

"How about a night out, the three of us, lots a booze and who knows what can happen" Jack said flirtatiously.

"Goodbye Jack" Gwen said flatly before hanging up. "God, Owen is right we really got to stop lying to that man before it drives me insane!"

Ianto was now buttoning up his jacket. "We could have said we were dating right then on the phone. Yes he would have sulked but then we wouldn't be digging our graves right now" Ianto looked in the mirror in the hallway. "Do I look like I've been snogged?"

"Sadly no, I need to work on that when we get home" Gwen said linking her hand through his. "Come on we got a murder to solve"

"Yeah ours if we keep this up" Ianto muttered.

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It had been a very long night. No one was sure what exactly happened but Jack suspected the wife, Beth, who Gwen thought was a very sweet girl who was obviously terrified of what's going around her. After interviewing constantly, trying to press every single detail out of her Gwen gave up and took her to Owen's autopsy room to get some DNA samples. To their shock every time the needle touched Beth's skin it would break, as if the skin was indestructible. Jack locked Beth into a cell next to Janet to his surprise and worries Janet was terrified of Beth causing him to pull out a metal chair with an arm straps on and a helmet. Ianto was mucking about, joking about exploding heads while pretending to be electrocuted though he waited until Gwen was out of the room since it became obvious that she was attached to Beth.

During the probing, Ianto took her hand which she held at an almost bone breaking grip as Beth let out yelps of pain and begged. Unknown to the pair of them Jack was giving them suspicious glances once in a while. Suddenly Beth's arm morphed into a hideous and dangerous looking built in weapon, red lights glowing beneath the deformed skin. Gwen leapt forward but Ianto caught her round the waist and pulled her back.

After a brief questioning Beth reverted back to herself, unaware of what happened. Jack sent her back into the cells and pulled everything to the conference room.

"She's a sleeper agent. It all clicked when I saw the implant" Jack said once everyone sat down.

"A sleeper agent? Who for?" Owen asked.

"No-one knows very much. They don't leave survivors" Jack said vaguely. "Official designation is Cell 1-1-4. They infiltrate planets, adapting their bodies, gathering intelligence, sometimes for years, watching, until they're ready to take over"

"Okay, that's ... creepy" Gwen said shuddering; Ianto wrapped an arm round her shoulders and gave one of them a squeeze. Owen rolled his eyes and Tosh noticed Jack glaring at the pair.

"If we're lucky, she's the first. They send an advance guard to gather Intel. Give them false memories so they blend in" Jack said turning to look at the security monitor that showed Beth in a cell. "She has no idea she's not human. Her real self must have taken over briefly, killed the burglars. Self preservation"

"Told you she did it" Owen said smugly to Gwen who stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"The point is, by the time they attack, they know every single thing about the planet" Jack said loudly ignoring the childish antics between Gwen and Owen, he turned to Tosh and stared at her with his most intense and serious gaze. "Tosh"

Tosh stood up "The implant gathers information. Normal X-rays don't show it. She's projecting a false image. It's got all this data stored inside it" the monitor showed swirling red which quickly flashed multiple images. "This is a force-field generator - it creates an impervious layer above the skin, just a nanometer thick. That's why you couldn't get the needle inside her"

"Right, well ... God, look, they even know about us" Owen said weakly pointing the monitor that showed their images and information.

"They know more about this place than I do. Nobody knows more than I do" Ianto said annoyed as his ego got bruised.

Gwen took his hand and kissed his knuckles. Owen bashed his head against the table while Jack stared at them shocked. "Aw sweetheart you're always going to know more than any of us" she said comfortingly.** "**What if there are more of them? What are we gonna do about this?" she asked turning to Jack.

"For a start ... I think we should tell her" Jack said slowly. "But first, can you tell me what's going on between you and Yan?"

Everyone froze, Owen looked hopeful, Tosh looked intrigued and Gwen and Ianto were trying to find a way to tell Jack what was really going on.

"Err...i...well...um..."

"Elizabeth just broke up with me and Gwen's been giving me some comfort, after all we're best friends" Ianto blurted out the lie quickly before even realizing it. "Apparently I've been neglecting her for work one time too many"

Jack looked satisfied with the explanation while Owen repeatedly bashed his head against the table. "Owen stop it, you can't afford to lose anymore brain cells that you got left" Jack said absently.


	14. Chapter 14

Beth was distraught.

She couldn't believe it, the mere idea of aliens existing was overwhelming but the fact she was one...

After a lot of comforting from Gwen (Ianto was beginning to worry that Gwen was getting too attached to the girl) Beth allowed them to freeze her. Fooled by the fake images sent by the alien the team calmed down only to have the lights go out as Beth used the tunnels to escape. Jack and Gwen followed only to get there in time when Beth accidentally killed her husband.

Then all hell broke loose. The phone network went down; three more Sleeper Agents woke up and began killing important council men. One Sleeper Agent was heading towards a top secret nuclear weaponry near Cardiff. With the help of Beth, Jack and Gwen managed to track them down and kill them in time before the world was destroyed.

Gwen was haunted by the taunting words of the male Sleeper Agent. That they were still going to come and use Torchwood as a method to destroy Earth. After cleaning up the mess that was left behind they took Beth back to the Hub and prepared a more secure way of freezing her body.

Gwen entered the autopsy room where Beth said silently, her eyes filled with grief and sadness.

"We're set with the cryogenics when you're ready" Gwen said loudly to get Beth's attention but gently to not panic her.

"Will it work this time?" Beth asked worriedly.

"Tosh has reconfigured the casket. It'll work around the implant. No more false images" Gwen explained.

"If we'd been one minute later..." Beth trailed off going back to the dark thoughts that had been haunting her.

"We weren't. We stopped him" Gwen said softly sitting down beside Beth.

"Then what happens when you have to stop me? If the freezing doesn't work?" Beth asked frantically.

"It won't come to that" Gwen said firmly.

"I can feel it coming. It's pushing me out" Beth whispered staring horrified at her alien arm. "What will you do when I lose my last bit of me?"

"We will figure something out, Beth"

"No, we won't. I'm too dangerous for that, we both know it" Gwen remained silent, unable to come up with an argument. "Do you ... have someone ... at home?" Beth whispered.

Gwen looked up at the balcony where beyond the doors she knew Ianto was waiting for her anxiously. Where she knew Ianto was worried and scared for her. "A fiancé" she answered.

"Have you ever hurt them?"

Has she ever hurt Ianto? Well she had never left him, never tried to harm him physically and never cheated on him but in ways she had, she made his heart stop beating at the thought she was going to die. She had argued and yelled at him when he had hurt her in a similar way thus hurting him as well. "More than once, yes" Gwen confessed clasping her hands together tightly and screwing her eyes shut willing herself to not cry.

"Remember how guilty you felt?" Gwen nodded. "Imagine that ... times a billion... all the time ... every second of the day. That's how I feel now. And the worst part is, when I turn back, I won't feel guilty any more. I'll want to carry out my mission. I won't even care about Mike. I'll forget all about him. I don't wanna die as one of those things, Gwen. I don't wanna forget about Mike"

"Then don't. Let's do this. Who knows what we'll be able to do in a month? A year?" Gwen said pleadingly, she wanted to preserve this good woman so badly, not let this alien thing take over.

"Thanks for being so good to me. Remember me the way I am now. Remember...Beth" Beth whispered, her arm suddenly started beeping; her eyes went vacant as she held her arm out at Gwen and a blade appeared.

Gwen gasped, shot up and began to back away from Beth who was slowly advancing towards her. "Beth...Beth..." Gwen whispered pleadingly.

Beth grabbed hold of Gwen and held the blade up to her neck; Gwen's insides froze at the touch of the cold blade. "I won't let you freeze me!" Beth hissed in a deep alien voice as she began to pull Gwen up into the main Hub. Tosh was alone and looked up horrified. "I'll kill you all!" Beth snarled.

Tosh grabbed her gun from her bag under her workstation just as Jack ran out with his gun out.

"Let her go!" Ianto roared as he and Owen ran out with their guns held up. "Let her go!"

"No! No, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, don't shoot! It's a trick. She won't. She won't hurt me" Gwen shouted, begging her team not to hurt her new friend, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Move away from her now!" Tosh snarled possessively.

"Everybody, calm down!" Jack ordered. "Beth...Beth...you don't want to do this. Let Gwen go" Jack said firmly but gently to Beth.

I'll kill her first, then all of you, then the rest of your miserable species!" Beth spat out.

"Beth, please! They will kill you" Gwen shouted. "You have proved to be better than that; you helped us to stop the invasion. You can be human. Please! Beth!"

Beth shook her head. "Not human enough" she said darkly.

"Beth ..." Gwen whispered, tears spilling down her cheek.

"Goodbye, Gwen" Beth growled in her alien voice and then she leaned down, her breath tickling Gwen's ear. "Good luck with that Ianto bloke, I figured it out" she whispered in her human voice.

Beth pulled back her arm. Everyone fired, loud gunshots causing Gwen to gasp. The bullets hit Beth's chest and she fell backwards. Gwen fell to the floor shocked and horrified as Jack and Owen ran either side of her, guns still trained onto Beth.

"She wanted you to shoot her!" Gwen shrieked. "She used her last shred of humanity to do this"

"We couldn't take that chance" Owen said gently. "She must have known that"

"She did" Jack said putting his gun down. "She just wanted to make it easier for us"

Everyone remained silent; Gwen reached out and pulled Beth's hand into hers when Jack gently squeezed her shoulder. She dropped Beth's hand and shot up; running away from Jack and directly into Ianto's waiting arms as she began to sob into this shoulder.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Jack sat at his desk holding the alien blade, his gaze never leaving it as he examined it thoughtfully. The door suddenly opened and Gwen appeared, Jack sat back propping his legs on the edge of the desk and stared at her with the same scrutiny the blade received.

"Do you think we stopped it?" Gwen asked in a flat, empty voice.

"Maybe. Maybe we've just put it off for a while, I don't know. We don't know anything" Jack said frustrated.

"We know plenty" Gwen argued immediately. "We know about the implant. We can disable their force-field. We know how they attack. We know that they can be killed. And while they think they have the element of surprise, we know they haven't. But, until that day, we just keep doing what we do" Gwen said passionately.

"Oh, them be fightin' words, they be, Gwen" Jack said in a pirate accent as he sat up. They smiled and chuckled in unison. "So, have you set a date?" Jack asked.

"Oh, don't get me started, please. My mam's already been on the phone, saying, 'What about the local church, Gwen? It's ever so lovely'" Gwen moaned.

"Good. Go home. Keep doing what we do" Jack said casually nodding to her, Gwen nodded back.

"Good night, Jack" Gwen said quietly before making her way to the door.

"Oh and Gwen" Jack called causing her to look back. "Whatever it is you're doing with Ianto, stop it" Gwen opened her mouth to argue. "I don't care if you haven't slept with him yet" Jack interrupted coldly. "I know the signs; it's you and Owen all over again. Just stop it"

Gwen frowned but said nothing. She turned round and left the office to find Ianto waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her. She smiled and linked her hand into his the moment she reached the bottom.

"I think...i think Jack's starting to work it out" she whispered. "And when the truth comes out, he probably have no problem with it because he's used to the idea"

"Let's hope so" Ianto whispered back squeezing her hand tightly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: thank you to those who managed to review the past two chapters despite having Fan-Fiction breaking down on all of us. Sorry if I had not replied to them since at the time review replies were not available.**

Tosh was happy.

She was also dressed up and practically glowing. A woman in love Gwen would say. It turns out Tosh had a frozen love interest, his name was Thomas Reginald Brockless better known as Tommy, a 24 year old soldier that had been frozen by the Torchwood staff in 1918. Once a year he would be defrosted, spend the day of freedom before being put back in the freezer as Owen said it. To Ianto's amusement after the struggle of waking Tommy up the young soldier had immediately punched Owen before politely asking for a cup of tea. Despite his politeness towards Tommy neither Gwen nor Ianto couldn't help noticing his jealousness but voted to not comment until Tosh and Tommy left the Hub. After all there was no need for Owen to explode in front of guests.

"St. Teilo's Hospital, 1918. There was a time-shift. A fracture in the rift means that two slices of time were erupting into each other" Jack started explaining to Gwen while Ianto poured out more coffee for the three of them.

"A slice of 1918, and ...?" Gwen asked.

"Nobody knows" Ianto said in a vague mysterious voice causing both Gwen and Jack to roll their eyes.

"A slice of the future" Jack said as if Ianto never spoke. "But we don't know exactly what slice. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a hundred years' time"

"What will happen?" Gwen asked worriedly.

"Chunks of 1918 will start to appear at the hospital. A few at first, then more and more. When the time-shift is complete, it'll start a chain reaction" Ianto explained as Jack got up from his chair and went towards his cabinets. "Unless we stop it, time-shifts will start happening all over the country, then all over the world"

Jack unlocked his cabinet while Gwen looked at the picture of Tommy; Ianto moved over and tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear while taking in a bit of her scent.

"But how does Tommy fit in?" Gwen asked softly.

"He helps to stop it somehow" Jack said pulling out a canister and passing it to Gwen. "Torchwood 1918 left us sealed orders"

Gwen read the label out loud. "Eyes-only documents. FAO Torchwood, commander overseeing case 1918 TB. T ... Tommy Brockless?" she asked her eyes widening; both Jack and Ianto nodded and Gwen attempted to open the canister. "Okay. It's stuck" she mumbled.

"No, it's locked" Ianto corrected, his lips twitching slightly in amusement at Gwen's obvious frustration. She had always been able to open her own jars and this was probably a blow to her feministic ego.

"Okay, where's the key?" Gwen asked glaring at Ianto, catching that slight twitch.

"It's a temporal lock tied in with the rift frequencies at the hospital" Jack explained, Gwen rolled her eyes and huffed slightly. "When the rift nears completion, the box will open and we'll find out exactly what Tommy does"

"But why would they keep us in the dark, Jack?"

"I guess we'll find that out, too"

Just then Tommy and Tosh walked into the office. Tommy was wearing normal street clothing. Looking like an average everyday person.

"Ta-dah!" Tosh exclaimed dramatically widening her arms to show him off.

"Seriously, what do you think?" Tommy asked nervously.

"You look like a film star" Gwen said sincerely while Ianto mumbled his approval.

"Who? Charlie Chaplin?" Tommy asked causing Gwen to giggle and the others to look rather amused.

"Come on" Tosh said gently leading Tommy out of the office, the others following quickly to say goodbye.

"Jack? Have you got any more of those pretty boys in the freezer?" Gwen asked teasingly as they watched Tommy help Tosh put her coat on.

"Hands off, missy. Tosh got there first" Jack teased back while glancing at Ianto who appeared unbothered. Tosh looked up at everyone.

"Thanks for holding the fort while I'm out" she said beaming.

"No worries. Have fun. Be careful" Owen said trying to sound pleasant but there was an edge to his voice.

"Where are you off?" Gwen asked.

"A drink, film? Maybe a pizza" Tosh said thoughtfully.

"Aw, very nice" Gwen, Ianto and Jack chimed together.

"I'll be on the mobile if you need me"

"Have a lovely time" Gwen said determined that Tosh wouldn't have to work when she should be on this date.

"Keep warm" Ianto said mildly.

"Bye!" Jack said waving.

They watched Tosh and Tommy head out. "He's a frozen soldier from 1918" Gwen murmured.

"Nobody's perfect" Jack said shrugging.

"You would know sir" Ianto said cheekily.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Gwen and Ianto sat together going through the slides of Torchwood 1918 together hoping to pick up some clues that the many members before them hadn't been able to find. They paused on a photo of a handsome man and a pretty woman standing side by side.

"He's a bit of all right" Gwen commented.

"He's the boss"

"Nothing changes" Gwen muttered, the pair glanced at each other and laughed both thinking about Jack. Ianto wrapped an arm round her shoulder.

"She's all right, too. Harriet Derbyshire" Ianto said looking at the woman without much interest.

"I wonder what happened to her"

"She died the year after that was taken. Twenty-six years old" Ianto said sadly.

"So young" Gwen sighed.

"They all were" Ianto said picking up a slide with five people in it. "Nothing changes" Gwen picking up on Ianto's depression turned round and pecked him lightly on the lips.

"Some things might" she whispered before heading out of the office.

"Where are you going?" Ianto called after her.

"St. Teilo's Hospital. And bloody cheer up, will you? I don't need a mopey fiancée when we discuss wedding plans tonight" Gwen said winking. "Mam saw a dress that she thinks is perfect for me"

Ianto grinned happily; one thing he loved to talk about recently was the wedding plans. He enjoyed arranging such a happy moment instead of where to drop of the latest body.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

A few hours later, Gwen, Owen, Jack, Tommy and Tosh rushed into the Hub while Ianto was cleaning in Jack's office. From the window Ianto noticed immediately how pale and terrified looking Gwen was and bit his lip to keep him from running towards her demanding what's wrong.

"Ianto! Is that box doing anything yet?" Jack shouted.

Ianto stepped out of the office. "Still locked" he said calmly.

"Okay. We need to find out how fast the time-shift is happening. Get some idea when it's going to complete" Jack said hurriedly though calmly. "Tosh, Owen, go to the hospital. We need readings. Cover the place with rift monitors. Gwen, go through the files, see if there's anything we missed" Jack ordered.

Tosh and Owen immediately got their jackets while Gwen rushed to her workstation. When Jack rushed back to his office and started to examine the canister and Tommy glumly looked down at his shoes after Tosh and Owen left, Ianto took his chance to hug Gwen.

"Are you ok love?" he whispered in her ear.

Gwen nodded. "Just a bit of a fright. Seeing all those people from 1918 was like seeing ghosts. Most didn't notice me but one...a nurse told me to stop bothering her and the others" she gulped. "Having the lights flickering on and off didn't help either"

Ianto squeezed her waist. "Don't worry we'll get this solved before the day is out. Then I'll order some Chinese and we'll have a night in and discuss the wedding"

Gwen smiled. "I'll like that"

Ianto then leaned over and tapped rapidly into the keyboard bringing up the CCTV, Gwen watched silently as he quickly deleted all footage of them together and tried to squash the guilty sensation that was building up in her chest.


	16. Chapter 16

The canister opened.

Inside were instructions from Tommy and Tosh on how to save the world. Tommy had to go back to 1918 stitch time back together with a rift manipulator. Jack took Tosh to his office to talk to her separately; whatever he said to her had upset her deeply. Gwen knew that heartbroken look anywhere, when Tosh said Tommy could come home with her for the night Gwen knew that Tommy was going to die. Deciding to go home for that night in Ianto and Gwen grabbed the coats immediately after Tosh and Tommy left.

"So...tomorrow he'll be back in his own time" Gwen said quietly looking out at the sea. "Forever"

"Where he belongs...Gwen, if you were a time traveller, like Jack and Tommy...would you go back...if you could?"

Gwen glanced at Ianto from the corner of her eye. As usual his facial expression gave away nothing but the tightening grip of his hand and the uncertainty in his voice was enough to know that he was worried she'll leave him forever.

"Why would you miss me?" Gwen teased lightly.

"Yep"

"If I was a time traveller and was stuck here. I would probably miss my home" Gwen said slowly. "However, the idea of leaving here, leaving the team, leaving the excitement, leaving you? Never, I could never do it"

Ianto's face lit up like a child's on Christmas day. Gwen smiled fondly as she slipped her hand through his hair and brought his head down, she tip-toed up and met his lips in a slow, sensual yet tender and loving kiss. Before things could get more interesting, Gwen's phone began to ring. The pair moaned as they pulled apart and Gwen answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Be grateful I'm the one watching the CCTV and not Jack" Owen said rudely. "It's deleted, now get going before you give me a need to wank"

Gwen screwed her nose in disgust. "Ew, oh Ew, you're disgusting. A complete pig Owen Harper!" she screeched before hanging up.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

The next day they went to the hospital. Jack, Owen, Gwen and Ianto waited for Tosh and Tommy to do what they had to do. The hospital was beginning to fall apart when Tosh came running round the corridor screaming for them to run. When they got back to the Hub the red alarm was screeching loudly as the whole place flashed red. Tommy hadn't used the rift manipulator and time was beginning to spread through Cardiff. Using a psychic projection Tosh convinced Tommy to use the rift manipulator when she finished she was crying silently and refused to speak to anyone. To everyone's shock Owen went to talk to her, to cheer her up, watching from the CCTV Jack, Gwen and Ianto were surprised to see Tosh walked away calmly not crying which must mean Owen actually said something right for once.

Jack leaned back into his chair. "I'm glad to see that the CCTV is working" he said cheerfully, Gwen and Ianto stiffened. "for some reason there's big blanks between times, could be a couple seconds, minutes, hours but the worst is the days. Any idea what could have happened?"

"Not at all sir" Ianto said smoothly. "Probably a virus"

"Hmmm" Jack eyed Ianto suspiciously. "I dunno Tosh's defences are the best. She wouldn't be defeated by a silly little virus. Best ask her to check it out tomorrow once she's feeling better"

"Of course, I'll ask her tomorrow" Ianto said stiffly.

Jack got up and pulled Gwen and Ianto into a group hug. "The pair of you can have the day off" he then kissed them tenderly on their foreheads. "Be good kids; don't do anything I wouldn't do"

"But that means we could destroy Earth" Gwen said sweetly. "Or get killed or do drugs or get drunk out of our minds or end up in an alien orgy"

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with an alien orgy" Jack said defensively causing Ianto's lips to twitch and Gwen to giggle. "Don't do anything I would do then, that way the whole universe would be a lot safer"

Once Jack was safely in his office the pair sighed heavily. "We have got to tell him!" Gwen said frustrated. "Owen's right, lying is not healthy for any of us"

"Never thought I would hear Owen and right in the same sentence" Ianto muttered. "The question is though is how we tell him. Do we confront him, send him an invitation or just wait for our child to turn eighteen?"

"I hate being the coward but I don't want to confront him" Gwen moaned. "He does that eye thing that makes you feel incredibly guilty before you can say anything"

"That and he makes you all flustered with his flirting" Ianto agreed. "So we'll wait till our child is eighteen?"

"The rate we're going we won't tell him till our grandchild is eighteen"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

The doorbell rang; Gwen rushed to get it while Ianto was calmly fixing up lunch. She opened the door and was immediately smothered by a bone crushing hug.

"There's my little girl, oh look at you, you gotten a bit more pale and skinner" her mother said critically. "Is that job not letting you sleep and eat?"

"Mam I'm fine" Gwen said laughingly as she hugged her taller, blonde and tanned mother back. Ianto who was watching it all from the kitchen still couldn't work out how they could be mother and daughter. "Hello Dad"

"Hello precious, is that Ianto bloke looking after you, if not...grr" Gwen's father said shaking a fist.

"Dad don't" Gwen whined as she hugged her father. "Ianto's treats me like a princess, more than I deserve really"

"Nonsense, my precious deserves the whole world" Gwen's father said firmly.

Ianto came out of the kitchen with a tray of coffee. "Black for you sir and white with sugar for Mrs Cooper" he said politely as placed the tray on the coffee table. "Lunch is almost finished, I'm afraid it's just Chinese leftovers however we made sure there's crispy duck for you Mrs Cooper that is your favourite right?"

"Elizabeth darling" Gwen's mother corrected him. "I told you call me Elizabeth" Ianto smiled before leaving for the kitchen. "I must say Gwen dear that Ianto Jones is a keeper, not that I didn't like Rhys I did but...well...how should I put this..."

"His mother was a pain in the arse?" Gwen's father suggested.

"George! Language!" Gwen's mother scolded him. "Though I must say Gwen you father is right. We might be high in the society here but she's higher and loves lording it over us. She still phones and subtly implies how horrible you are for breaking dear Rhys' heart" noticing her daughter's worried and fearful expression she took her daughter's hand into hers. "Don't worry dear, I often hear Rhys in the background shouting at her saying you never broke his heart and it was time for you to part ways. In fact I hear Rhys is now seeing a lovely woman from your father's offices so let's hope that'll work out"

"I hope so, Rhys deserves to be happy" Gwen said smiling.

"So anyway about the wedding have you decided where you're going to have it?" Gwen's mother asked just as Ianto entered the room once more with the lunch.

Gwen met Ianto's eyes and both smiled. "Yes we have, we want it at the family church just like you suggested"

"Most of my family has died" Ianto said quietly. "So there is no point in going to my old family's church, we want to celebrate the living and happy moments"

"Oh, sweethearts!" Gwen's mother exclaimed. "You have no idea how happy I am!"

Gwen had a pretty good idea. Both of her parents were ecstatic about the wedding, so was Ianto's sister and Owen and Tosh, even Rhys texted his congratulations when he heard. Gwen only hoped when Jack found out he'll be just as happy as everyone else was.


	17. Chapter 17

It was raining out and yet Rhys was feeling sunny inside as he sang along the new radio ad he had helped write. His day seemed to be going brilliantly when his secretary rang him, there was a car accident and he had to be there now. Harwood's policy and all. However when he got there the police wouldn't allow him through, he was shocked to find that his driver and good friend was dead and gave the policeman the details of his next kin.

"Right, um, I'm going to need to arrange to move the lorry" Rhys said uncomfortably as he scratched his head.

"Not yet. There's something suspicious in the back" the policeman said firmly.

"It's just meat. Leighton was taking it to the abattoir" Rhys said offended and shocked at the implication that his friend was involved something dodgy.

"Yeah, well, whatever. Torchwood wants a look at it first" the policeman said and he turned just in time to see a black SUV pull up directly behind the accident site. Rhys watched curiously as the Torchwood Team began to climb out, a handsome man in a long blue coat that Rhys had seen only once and then a small black haired woman with pale skin.

Gwen.

Rhys inwardly groaned as he watched this Torchwood start investigating. It would be the gods to turn against him and put his ex-girlfriend in charge of an investigation concerning his firm. Not that Gwen had a grudge against him; in fact they were on really good terms now. She met his latest sort of girlfriend last week and got on smashingly well.

But he had no idea why Gwen would investigate something like this.

To make things worse later on that day he got a call from the police, a woman who sounded remarkably like Tosh (he had chatted to the sweet shy woman a few times before and after Gwen broke up) questioned him about the lorry. He gave all the information he could find but it seemed to not be enough. Not sure his friendship with Gwen was stable enough to ask her the truth, Rhys grabbed his keys and went to plaza, sat in his car and waited for any member of the team, preferably Gwen to follow.

To his good luck he ended up following Gwen and Jack to this large warehouse, he tried to phone her but to his annoyance she ignored him. How was he going to tell her he was there with her? Enraged and determined to find out the truth Rhys got out of his car and went to the warehouse, met with the people in charged and made a load of lies up.

He got the job and was shown the most tragic, beautiful and alien thing he had ever seen.

Once he left his got his phone out and tapped out a text message.

**We need to talk, now! Meet me at the nearest cafe from the plaza ASAP**

He sent it to Gwen.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Gwen tapped her fingers nervously against the table. She was waiting in the cafe Rhys asked her too and she was unsure what to say. She saw him at that warehouse and she needed to know what was in there and what the hell he was doing in there as well. But she couldn't tell Rhys anything about Torchwood or the aliens...fuck everything was far too screwed up in her life.

Rhys sat down opposite her, he smiled nervously. "Would you like to order something first?" he asked.

"No thank you, you?" Gwen said quickly wanting this over soon.

"No"

There was a moment of silence. Rhys sighed heavily and Gwen stiffened.

"Rhys-"

"Gwen I have no idea what it was that I saw" Rhys interrupted firmly. "It looked like a giant whale that apparently grows everything back and more. They're using it to get money and lots of it. I managed to land myself a job there, I have no idea what it is you're doing or how but I can"

Gwen smiled. "How can you be such an idiot but so brave as well?" she asked, she passed him a small plastic bag that held a white pill inside. "When today is over I want you to take this because you can't know about Torchwood and what we do"

"I keep hearing Torchwood, I thought it was just an urban legend or something" Rhys said taking the bag and putting it in his pocket. "Just nonsense, no such thing as aliens is there?"

"Oh trust me, there is and I can prove it to you" Gwen said getting up. "Follow me Rhys Williams and prepare to be amazed"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Gwen took him through the invisible lift. Rhys found everything that he could see amazing and was shocked to see a pterodactyl fly over his head screeching away. Jack walked up and introduced himself and the others; Jack was slightly surprised that Rhys knew the others fairly well already but made no comment. As they made their plans to save the gigantic sea life alien creature, Rhys and Gwen argued briefly and Jack couldn't help but inwardly smirk at the fact neither of them made any romantic notion towards the other. No fiancée or other endearing terms said, no hold handing or hugging or kissing.

If Gwen never said they were in engaged Jack would have thought they had broken up months ago. Ianto and Rhys had chatted a long time with Gwen while Jack watched from his office window. Once Owen and Tosh were ready Jack left with Rhys to Rhys' office waiting for the call from the thugs that were harming the innocent alien.

Once the call was made they got into the lorry and began driving. Rhys ate a Danish pastry as he drove.

"Why her? Boy, of all the women you could've chosen-"

"She chose us" Jack interrupted coldly, annoyed that Rhys was talking with his mouth full. "Kind of stumbled upon us" he said more warmly, attempting to be nice.

"So did I. Don't be asking me to join" Rhys pointed out.

"We needed someone with police skills" Jack said calmly.

"Could've chosen anyone" Rhys snapped. "Did you ever think about us? You know - me, her parents, people who love her, who want her safe?"

"No, sorry" Jack said not sounding sorry at all. "We needed her. On her first day of work, she told me off for being too clinical"

"She doesn't hold back, mate" Rhys said grinning.

"Mnh-mnh, stubborn as hell" Jack agreed a smile forming on his face.

"Tell me about it. Yeah, she's an amazing girl" Rhys sighed. "Ianto is a lucky man, Jack"

Jack's insides froze. He blinked and turned to face Rhys fully. "Hold on did you just say Ianto?" he asked.

"Yeah, Ianto, you know the guy in the suit who makes the coffee?"

"I know who Ianto Jones is" Jack snapped. "But what has he got to do with Gwen?"

"What don't you know?" Rhys asked confused.

"Know what?"

"That the pair of them has been engaged since November" Rhys said casually. "Been together since September. It's all very fast I think but Ianto is a good man who understands Gwen's life better than I ever will now. We broke up not so long after you left, still mates though which is why I contacted her and followed her, trying to protect a friend"

Jack faced straight ahead with an empty look in his eyes as he processed what he just learnt. Gwen and Rhys had split up. Gwen is engaged to Ianto. Gwen lied and said she was engaged to Rhys. But Gwen claims she lives in the same building as Ianto and she had once answered Ianto's phone. Bits and pieces of CCTV have gone missing since he came back. Tosh and Owen have been acting rather edgy. Ianto kept rejecting him which was unexpected.

"You ok mate?" Rhys asked concerned.

Jack shook his head. "They lied to me" he whispered, numb with shock. "They all lied to me"


	18. Chapter 18

Jack was acting cold.

Usually in a situation like this Jack would be practically mothering Gwen, reassuring her that Rhys would be fine while double checking that Ianto, Owen and Tosh were fine. Instead he sat there stiffly making sure no one would even be able to accidentally brush against him. When they split up to surround the warehouse and Ianto and Rhys got caught Gwen began to run after them instead of Jack being the one to stop Gwen it took practical begging from Tosh to stop her.

The people who were hacking at the creature, panicked, attempted to shoot Gwen during the confrontation and would have succeeded if Ianto hadn't pushed her down in time. Owen pumped drugs into the creature while muttering apologies, Ianto stunned the men before they ran off and Gwen rushed Rhys back into his lorry reminding him to take the retcon soon.

They came back somber due to the mercy killing Owen had to do. They sat down in their work stations and silently began the paperwork. Jack stormed in from his office and glared at them all his arms crossed.

"Liars" he said icily. "You're all liars"

The four of them stiffened, Gwen plastered a fake smile. "What do you mean Jack?" she asked gently.

"Don't. You. Dare" Jack hissed. "Don't you dare pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about. You're not engaged to Rhys are you?" Gwen looked down ashamed. "You've been engaged to Ianto all along haven't you?" she didn't answer, she shifted her feet slightly and avoiding looking at Jack. "ANSWER ME!"

Gwen flinched. "Yes" she whispered.

Jack laughed bitterly before he cupped Gwen's face and forced her to look at him. "I love you" he confessed. "I love you so much. I love Ianto as well. Owen and Tosh they're family and I adore them. But you lied to me"

"I'm so sorry Jack" Gwen croaked, tears starting to slip down her cheeks. "It's just you looked so heartbroken when I said I was engaged, I know you needed someone either me or Ianto and I couldn't bring myself to break your heart again. How could I tell you that I'm going to marry the man you love?"

"You silly little girl" Jack said tears building up in his own eyes. "I wouldn't have cared. The pair of you deserve to be happy. But you lied; all of you lied to me. I can't forgive you for that" he let Gwen's face go and turned away, not looking at any of them. "Go home. All of you"

"Jack-"

"I SAID GO HOME!"

Jack roared interrupting Tosh. Tosh staggered back and let out a small squeal; Owen stepped to her side and wrapped an arm round her shoulders, glaring up at Jack.

"Don't you dare scare Tosh like that" he snarled. "She's not at fault"

"She lied just like you and the others" Jack said coldly. "Leave now Harper before I retcon you and dump you in the middle of no where"

"Fine" Owen spat out. "Be like that but just so you know, I was on your side but now I'm starting to think the others were right to not tell you since you're acting like a brat" Owen turned away, herding Tosh to the cog door quickly. "Come on Tosh, I could use a drink"

"Jack, Jack please don't take it out on them" Gwen pleaded, she reached out and took his wrist causing Jack to wretch away, Gwen stumbled back and Ianto caught her swiftly. "Jack please"

"Leave me alone. I never want to see you again today. I never want to speak to you. Just be grateful I'm not retconning you"

Jack then stormed off up the stairs. The pair winced as he slammed his door shut, Gwen then began to cry openly, Ianto pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair and his owns tears dripping onto her scalp.

"I'm so sorry Ianto" Gwen gasped. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, I ruined your friendship with Jack and Tosh's....and Owen's....it's all my fault"

"Shh...Shh...No it's not" Ianto whispered. "It's not. Jack just needs time to adjust that's all. In a couple weeks everything will be back to normal"

Gwen sniffled and allowed Ianto to wipe her tears with his hankie before slipping his hand into hers and leading her out to the outside. They paused and faced each other both smiling at the warmth of the sun on their faces.

"Despite all of this, I don't regret anything with you" Gwen whispered.

"I have nothing to regret either" Ianto said gently as he tucked some of Gwen's hair behind her ear before leaning down kissing her.

Both were unaware of Jack Harkness, watching them through the CCTV crying.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Jack did not speak to anyone unless it was an order.

Jack did not look nor touch anyone unless it was necessary. Life or death.

Jack did not accept food or drink from anyone. Went out of the Hub for meals.

Two days went missing out of everyone's memories, including Jack's. He has no idea why, there was no letter left and as far as he knew the whole team ended up in an orgy or something, wouldn't be the first time.

Dead people began to pop up. With no obvious violence but a pattern of toxic shock. Jack declared the team incapable of solving the mystery without help and was now waiting excitedly for who he had called. He needed a friend who he knew wouldn't lie to him, wouldn't betray him and would care about his feelings.

"Miss Martha Jones" Martha looked up at Jack and smiled. He smiled back and winked at her.

They ran across the Hub and embraced tightly

"Oh, it's good to see you, Jack" Martha muttered, Jack laughed.

"I so needed a friend right now" he murmured before turning round. "Toshiko. Owen, Gwen, Ianto" Ianto waved. "Meet Martha"

Martha picked up her kit and her bag

"Uh, just a casual visit or...?" Owen asked wondering if Jack is following through his threat and firing Owen first.

"I'm here to complete your postmortem" Martha said politely before walking past a confused Owen.

"Dr. Jones is from UNIT" Jack said looking at the wall behind the team. He turned to follow Martha, Owen following him; he turned round and stopped Owen. "No, you lot work on something I want to talk to my friend alone"

Jack entered the autopsy room and Martha turned round with a serious expression, her eyes soft with concern. "All right Jack, what's going on?" she asked firmly. "You're acting like the Doctor on a bad angst day"

Jack felt his lips twitch in amusement as he sat down and told her everything.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Martha thought Jack was being an idiot and that he should mend his friendship with the team. During the conference and breaks as they tried to work out what a pharmacy is doing with the public that volunteered as test subjects, Martha attempted to get Jack involved in conversations. She had found Gwen to be friendly, Ianto to be sweet, Tosh interesting and Owen brilliant to talk about medicine. After a while Martha agreed to go undercover and discovered that they were using alien eggs as a medicine to cure everything. She also discovered that aliens like Weevils are being used as test subjects as well.

Martha was almost killed by the leaders of the group. Owen and Jack managed to save her in time while Tosh, Ianto and Gwen shut down the building.

"Okay, let's go!" Jack said leading everyone back to the SUV, Owen and Martha were behind when the leader, Aaron Copley appeared with a gun out pointed at Martha.

"Did you really think I was going to let you just walk away?" Owen stepped forward in front of Martha. "You've ruined everything I've worked for.

"Now, let's not be stupid. Okay?" Owen said softly, Gwen pulled out her gun and pointed at Copley. "We're both rational men, scientists" Owen moved closer slowly. "I know you don't want to shoot"

_BANG!_

Copley shot Owen in the chest. Owen fell down hard. Ianto is startled, Gwen dropped her gun horrified and Tosh gasped in horror. The empty shell casing clinked on the concrete.

Owen gasped for breath.

Jack raised his gun and points it at Copley.

"You're next!" Copley spat out as he held his gun at Martha.

_BANG!_

Jack fired the gun; the bullet hit Copley dead center in his forehead. Copley dropped his gun and fell backwards. Tosh ran towards Owen and Martha dropped to the floor.

"Owen! Can you hear me, Owen?!" Martha shouted.

"You've got to help him!" Tosh screamed, Martha got up and got a syringe.

"Owen, stay with me. Owen. Owen, look at me, look at me" Jack begged, tears forming in his eyes. Owen can't die. Not before Gwen and Ianto are married. "Owen, look right at me. Stay with me, Owen, stay with me. Stay with me, buddy. Come on. Come on."

Martha injected Owen in the chest. "Owen, speak to me!" Martha shouted.

Owen's harsh breathing slows down. He blinks a couple of times and stops moving. Everyone waits. But Owen made no movement. Martha checked his pulse. She looked at Jack sadly.

"He's dead" she whispered.

Jack looked up at the others. Gwen, Ianto and Tosh, all three looked torn and shocked. Disbelieved because there was no way an arsehole like Owen could die.

"Owen ..." Jack whispered brokenly.


	19. Chapter 19

Owen cannot be dead. Owen can't die without Jack forgiving him and apologising himself. He can't die without everyone saying goodbye. A year with the Master and Jack saw his whole team be brutally murdered. He promised to protect them and never let them go and instead he only just managed to stop Martha cutting up Owen's corpse before he ran out. He met the tarot card reading girl. He has no idea who she is; she's part of the rift he guessed since she never ages or dies. She told him where it was and asked him not to use it.

He ignored the request and went to the church. He snuck past the sleeping Weevils, ran before they attacked once had what he wanted. And came back to the Hub to find his team sitting in silence with grief written all over their expressions. He ran to the autopsy room, opened the box and pulled out the silver glove causing Gwen to shriek in terror.

"Are you really going to use that after what happened last time?" Gwen demanded. "Jack, the gloves are dangerous. At best it'll give us two minutes. At worst ... who knows what will happen?"

"It's not up for discussion" Jack said flatly.

"I thought the glove didn't work for you" Gwen said trying to find a way to stop him using the glove as the others hooked Owen to a monitor, the constant drone of the flat line could be heard.

"Different glove, different circumstances. This time, it has to work for me. I'm not going to give it any choice. Okay, if you've got anything you need to say to Owen, now is your chance" Jack slipped the glove over his left hand and cradled Owen's head with the hand. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. "Owen ... it's Jack. Can you hear me?" he opened his eyes and looked up. "Owen! Hear my voice! Get a hold of it, let it draw you out, pull you out"

"I'm not getting any vital signs" Ianto said quietly.

"Owen, it's me, Jack" Jack continued ignoring Ianto, he looked up and grinned. "He's coming, he's coming!"

Owen's eyes opened, He screamed loud, long and painfully causing the team to clutch to each other, Tosh let out a whimper.

"Oh, my God!" Martha shouted.

"What happened? Where am I? Oh, God I'm shot, he shot me!" Owen said quickly panicked.

"Owen, listen to me, we don't have long" Jack said quickly trying to calm Owen down as fast as possible.

"Where am I? This isn't the hospital, this is the autopsy room" Jack puts the back of his hand against Owen's cheek; Owen turned enough to see the glove. "Jack, oh, no! What's that? What's that?"

"The resurrection glove. We lost you, but I brought you back"

Owen closed his eyes "How long have I got?"

"We're at thirty seconds and counting" Ianto said.

"Oh, no. Jesus. Really?"

"Okay, team, say your goodbyes"

"Bastard" Owen muttered. Gwen suddenly swung into his sight, her face paler than usual making her freckles stand out.

"I'm so sorry, you were right we should have been honest first. You're a good friend and I'm going to miss you so much"

Owen gave a small smiled and reframed from saying something rude. No doubt Gwen would have chucked something at him if he did. Tosh took over, she looked like she was going to be sick, she was trembling and Owen was so tempted to reach up and cup her face. Tell her everything was going to be all right.

"I'm gonna miss you" Tosh blurted out, she leaned in closer and Owen got a waft of her perfume. "And I love you. I always have" she whispered.

"Owen, I need the code for the alien morgue. You're the only one who knows it" Jack said, Owen felt irritation build up. The man could have called him back to say he was sorry or he forgave everyone but noooooooooooooooooooooooo.

"You brought me back for that? For that?!" Owen snarled.

"Sorry!"

"Oh, Jack" Owen rolled his eyes. "Its 231165" Ianto who didn't say anything looked at him and mouthed 'no one but you' causing Owen to feel a bit better. Ianto won't have anyone but him to be Best Man that cheered Owen up a little. "Okay?"

"Sorry, and to help you prepare. I know what death is. I want you to be ready" Jack said gently. "I'm so sorry Owen, I forgive you and I wish I could have saved you"

"There's nothing. Just ... just darkness" Owen said flatly.

"Two minutes"

"Jack, Jack ..."

"Be brave!" Jack said firmly, Owen closed his eyes. "Owen!" the monitor beeped. "Owen!" Jack clutched Owen's hand tightly as the heart monitor's flat line could be heard throughout the Hub. Tosh was crying loudly and the others stood there silently.

"I'm really gonna need that hand back" Owen said glaring at Jack.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Owen had no pulse or heartbeat and it was confirmed that he isn't stealing energy from Jack. Owen had a bit of a mental breakdown, claiming something was moving in the darkness, Tosh tried to talk to him but he pushed away and said she didn't love him that it was all in the heat in the moment. Though deep down he knew she did and he probably could return those feelings. Owen slipped out and went to a bar, a beautiful girl tried it on with him but because of him being....well dead he couldn't get it up and she went off in a huff. Jack found him and they ended up fighting causing the police to lock them in a cell.

Owen freaked Jack out when he stood upside down and vomited all the beer he had drank. The farting then began and Jack looked like he was being tortured.

"I guess this means I can go to Gwen and Ianto's wedding then" Owen said as he gently traced the specks in the bricks. "I'm a twat Jack, a horrible mean twat who can't keep his mouth shut. Someone who can't have love"

"Don't say that!" Jack snapped. "You have Tosh. You got us as a family"

Owen smiled bitterly. "Not you. You don't want anything to do with us because we lied, remember?" Jack looked away and didn't say anything. "They really do love each other Jack. An idiot would have to be blind, deaf and have special needs to not see it. Guess you got all three then"

"I knew something was going on. Just thought it was an affair or something" Jack admitted.

Owen rolled his eyes. "I and Gwen were the affair. We didn't like each other. We shagged. I cared as a friend but that was it. Would have killed her if she lived with me. Ianto and Gwen are in love, it's that slow romantic lovey dovey crap that you see in books and movies. He will treat her like the princess her parents think she is and she would kill anyone that hurt him" Owen looked up and met Jack's eyes. "You can't hate them for it"

"I don't hate them"

"Then forgive, forget and go to that bloody wedding. Though don't eat anything its so lovey dovey you might puke it up" Jack laughed and ruffled Owen's hair. Owen pulled away and glared. "Why did you bring me back? Really?"

"Because I wasn't ready to give up on you. I guess I was hoping for a miracle. And I still am" Owen grinned and Jack laughed again. "Let's go home"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Owen was possessed by death. The Weevils were scared of him and it turned out that the glove was used on a little girl centuries ago and death walked among them trying to take thirteen lives to remain with them. In an attempt to stop it happening again they planned to freeze Owen, only the glove wouldn't allow them too. Martha's youth was drained and Owen was fully possessed by death before the black gas left his body and began rampaging round the city. They tracked him down in a hospital where people were dying; Owen tricked Tosh and the others to be locked out as he fought death....and won.

Owen moped. He sulked. He snapped and he was irritated. Everyone was treating him like glass and he was no longer allowed to work. He was nothing and left to just hang around. Tosh tried to be friendly but he hurt her feelings and sent her running. He resented Martha little for taking his job away even though she was only filling in for the time being. After breaking his hand, attempting to drown himself and end up saving the world Owen proved his worth in a small way to the team and himself.

He was still a zombie and he hated it. They were now standing outside at night to say goodbye to Martha.

"Well, I'm sorry, Dr. Jones. No vacancies in Cardiff just yet" Owen said smugly.

"That's okay. I reckon you're ... I was going to say "fine," but you're a hell of a lot more than that" Martha said grinning.

"Thank you. For everything" Owen said sincerely as he kissed Martha on the cheek and hugged her.

"Oi!" Jack shouted with a grin.

"That's what I'm here for" Martha said before pulling Gwen into a hug.

"You take care" Gwen said hugging her back.

"Okay" Martha turned round and kissed Ianto on the cheek before turning to Jack. "Well, it's been ... interesting"

"Oh, it's been fun" Jack said his eyes twinkling. "You know it has" Martha tip-toed and caught his lips in a quick chaste kiss, she stepped back and laughed at his confused expression.

"Well, everyone else has had a go"

Jack cupped her cheek and looked at her with a serious expression "You can so come back anytime" he said.

"Well, maybe I will. One day" Martha shrugged.

"Preferably for Gwen and Ianto's wedding" Jack said grinning. Everyone looked up shocked and happy. "I mean my two favorite people in Cardiff getting married, got to be an event to die for. I can't wait"

"You mean...?" Gwen asked a smile forming on her face. Jack nodded and both Gwen and Ianto ran to him pulling him into a hug.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh" Jack said dropping kisses on their foreheads. "You two deserve to be happy and if Owen's death taught me anything it's to move on and live every moment"

"Nice to see my death is so meaningful" Owen muttered.

"Besides, Ianto and Gwen in the same house that just makes it easier for me" Jack said flirtatiously. Gwen and Ianto pulled away with fake horrified expressions, Gwen smacked Jack playfully on the arm while Martha and Owen laughed.

Everything seemed to be back to normal. Though Jack wished with all of his heart Owen can be alive properly to enjoy this. Little did he know everything was going to be turned upside down and Martha would be visiting sooner than they expected.


	20. Epilogue

**Author's Note: to understand this epilogue you should read the sort of sequel that inspired me to write The Secret Engagement. Look for Fobwatches, Twins and Rose on my profile. Thank you to all those who reviewed, favourited and story alerted this fic. **

"This must be the first wedding I have ever been to where the bride and the groom were both pregnant" the Doctor said amused. "And considering the weird weddings I've been including Jackie – ow Rose that was my foot"

The Doctor was a puzzle to the Torchwood Team. After the mysterious comments from Jack they expected someone a lot like Jack but less flirtatious (well they hoped) instead they got this hyperactive idiot who locked his true conscious in a watch leaving it to his redheaded bossy companion to explain all. To say Owen and Donna Noble got on well would be the worst lie in the history of worst lies, everyday Tosh, Jack, Gwen and Ianto would hear the name-calling and screaming (occasionally slapping as well) break out every few hours.

Within two months of getting used to Donna Noble hanging around trying to help (only to accidentally kill Jack a few times starting a ban on guns) and Martha popping in at the evenings (since she was going undercover to watch the Doctor at his work) the team had found very good friends. Then suddenly Rose Tyler appeared out of no where and threw everything upside down.

An alien race called the Family had crash-landed in Cardiff, the father had possessed Owen and to get the father out Jack kissed Owen (not Owen's finest moment or something he wanted to remember) somehow during that kiss Jack gave some of his life-force allowing Owen to actually live again.

During all of the mayhem Ianto and Gwen found out Gwen was pregnant. The idea of raising a baby in the environment they worked in was terrifying but with both Owen and Martha willing to act as the baby's doctor and Tosh half-way through making the Hub baby-safe they were sure they could manage. Jack was excited to see this beautiful mini-Gwen or Ianto (a Gwento maybe?) to be born and grow up, he could imagine this child to be good and kind as his parents are.

The night before the wedding however, Ianto got bitten by a shape-shifting alien and when he woke up he was horrified to see he was pregnant. Owen however almost wet himself laughing and Jack found it incredibly hard to not laugh. The others had almost fainted when they saw him. Ianto insisted on the wedding continuing and had to endure his brother in law's sly comments and being almost torn apart by an alien.

Who Jack killed instantly much to the Doctor's disproval. Torchwood was revealed to the family and Rhiannon accepted it after three drinks.

"I am glad there is no photographic evidence" Ianto murmured as he traced patterns on Gwen's hand. "I rather not remember that part of my special day"

"Aw come on Tea-Boy it's not that bad you weren't as fat as they gabbaloodena...whatdja call it?" Donna asked turning to the Doctor.

"A Gabbenloodonea" the Doctor said rolling his eyes. "And lay of the drink Donna, you're already beginning to slur"

"Oh shut up Space-Boy, I can handle my dri-"

_THUD!_

Donna's head collided fast against the table as she passed out, her red hair looking like a waterfall of fire under the fairy lights above them. The Doctor sighed heavily as Rose fretted over Donna. Suddenly around them people began to collapse. Owen attempted to look innocent but failed.

"Its protocol to retcon people, not my fault Donna took several glasses of the retconned champagne is it?" he snapped defensively.

"Sadly he has got a point" Jack said lifting Donna up in his arms. "But he's not the one that will have to do the explaining and ducking tomorrow morning when she wakes up"

"But Donna won't hurt you will she?" Rose said unsure.

Jack grinned. "Darling I can endure the pain, especially when the make-up sex is even better than normal sex" everyone groaned loudly. "Heh, you're all jealous" Jack muttered before leaving with Donna.

Martha got up and ran over to the DJ who was sleeping on the platform. She trod carefully round him and found a popular slow song and started to play it. "This is for you love birds over there, Gwen and Ianto, Doctor and Rose and Tosh and Owen" Tosh and Owen blushed brightly and refused to look at one another. "Go out there and ask her to dance Owen or I'll staple your arse to your office chair"

Owen shot up out of his seat and politely offered his hand to Tosh who accepted with a smile. The Doctor blushingly asked a giggling Rose leaving Gwen and Ianto in their own world.

"Would you like to dance Mrs Jones?" Ianto asked bowing.

Gwen giggled. "Why yes Mr Jones I would be delighted to" she said placing her hand into his.

"Part of me wonders if this is a dream" Ianto confessed in a whisper, his breath brushing against Gwen's ear causing her to shiver even now. "That I'll wake up and Jack is still missing, you're with Rhys and there's no baby to be"

"I know last year this seemed unlikely" Gwen admitted. "But it's what they say, you find love in the most unlikely places and amongst all this insanity and monsters and strange friendships I found _you _the best thing there is"

Ianto cupped Gwen's face and gently forced her to look at him. He bent down and kissed her firmly and gently. "I love you"

"I love you too"

"And I love you two very much but I'm afraid you got to help out with the wedding guests" Jack said suddenly sneaking his hands between the two and prying them apart. "Once you finished you can go on your honeymoon promise"

Ianto sighed heavily. "That's what I love about Torchwood. By day you're chasing the scum of the universe. Come midnight, you're the Wedding Fairy" Ianto said dryly.


End file.
